Methionine supplements in chicken diets. 1. Effects of supplementary methionine and choline on growth and folic ancid requirements of White Leghorn chickens

Abstract

The addition of 0.2 per cent. DL-methionine to a diet based on wheatmeal, meatmeal, and whey powder produced a 12 per cent. increase in weight a t 6 weeks in White Leghorn chickens. Although the addition of 4.4 p.p.m. of folic acid to the basal diet produced no response, the addition of folk acid to the methionine-supplemented diet produced a further 7 per cent. increase in weight. In a second experiment, supplementing the same basal diet with 0.066 per cent. choline chloride produced a 17 per cent. growth depression which was prevented by the addition of folic acid. Methionine (0.2 per cent.), added to the basal diet supplemented with 0.066 per cent. choline chloride and 4.4 p.p.m. folic acid, produced a 5 per cent. growth increase, proving that the basal diet was deficient in sulphur-amino acids. It is suggested that folk acid is required for the catabolism of methyl groups provided in excess of the chicken's requirements.