Evaluation of valine requirement of the commercial layer using a corn-soybean meal basal diet

An experiment was conducted with Hy-Line W-36 hens to evaluate the Val requirement in a corn-soybean meal diet. Eight experimental diets were fed with Val levels of 0.700, 0.665, 0.630, 0.595, 0.560, and 0.525%. A positive control (0.765% Val) was fed. Egg production (EP) was increased by addition of Val to 0.630%. Egg weight (EW) was increased by addition of Val to 0.655%. Broken-line regression indicated a daily Val requirement of 592.5, 677.7, and 619.0 mg/hen per d for EP, EW, and egg contents (EC), respectively. This requirement was 13.1 mg/g of EC.