| Summary: | SUMMARY: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding varying amino acid densities (AAD) and AME levels during the finisher phase (d 28–41) on male Cobb MV × Cobb 500 broiler performance, processing, and economics. A 3 AAD (Low-AAD, Medium (Med)-AAD, and High-AAD) × 4 AME (Low-AME, Med-AME, High-AME, and Very High-AME) factorial arrangement was utilized. Feeding Med-AAD or High-AAD maximized d 28 to 40 BW gain (BWG) regardless of AME level fed. As AAD increased, a stepwise reduction in FCR and ADFI was observed from d 28 to 40. For the main effect of AME, broilers fed Very High-AME improved FCR from d 28 to 40, with those fed Low-AME having a higher FCR and FCR of birds fed Med-AME and High-AME being intermediate. Birds fed Low-AME increased ADFI throughout but were similar to Med-AME from d 28 to 40. An interaction was detected for carcass yield wherein broilers fed Med-AAD + Low-AME maximized carcass yield. Feeding High-AAD maximized breast and tender yield and reduced fat pad yield. For the main effect of AME, fat pad yield was greatest in birds fed High-AME and Very High-AME. Overall, increasing d 28 to 41 AAD improved performance and processing variables; Very High-AME level improved FCR and ADFI. These data demonstrate the importance of evaluating the response of a particular broiler strain to varying AAD and AME levels, as these nutrients can impact performance and ultimately producer profitability.
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