⠀ Methionine?

[nutso]

Hello,

I know this substance is an amino acid but have to say that I don't really understand what it's role is in producing healthy hens and great eggs. Can you please explain - in average layperson's terms? Where does it come from?

Many thanks.

 

[Chris09]

Hello,

I know this substance is an amino acid but have to say that I don't really understand what it's role is in producing healthy hens and great eggs. Can you please explain - in average layperson's terms? Where does it come from?

Many thanks.

It's used for growth, reproduction and performance in poultry.
With out proper amount of Methionine you will have slow growing birds that have poor feathering, lay very few eggs and are over all poor in health.

The best source of Methionine is from animal proteins, if the feed being fed is a cheaper vegetarian feed then a synthetic Methionine is used in the feed mix to obtain proper Methionine level.

 

[gclark94560]

A parallel discussion on this topic is over here - -

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/939481/methionine-cat-food-and-chickens-a-scientific-look

 

[DrMikelleRoeder]

Methionine is an essential amino acid. Amino acids are the basic building blocks of proteins. Essential amino acids (vs non-essential) cannot be synthesized by your birds and must be supplemented through their diet. Methionine, like all amino acids comes from any protein source. If you feed a vegetarian diet to your birds, common methionine sources include soybean meal, corn gluten meal, and canola meal. Some protein sources are higher in methionine than others, but in general, the more protein in the diet, the higher the concentration of methionine (and other amino acids).

Methionine is needed at the cellular level for the manufacture of specific proteins used for feathering, growth, reproduction and egg production. Because it is needed for so many biological processes, methionine is one of the most critical amino acids to supply in the diet. Additional methionine can be incorporated into the diet by feeding more protein to your birds, but beware, focusing too much on methionine (or any specific nutrient) can create a nutritional imbalance. In addition, feeding excess protein can result in wetter feces, as the bird’s body will excrete unnecessary nitrogen produced by the breakdown of protein.

We recommend feeding a balanced and complete diet to your birds. Complete feeds have been formulated to ensure that your flock’s diet contains all of the essential nutrients needed, in the correct amounts and ratios, for optimum bird health and performance.

Hope this helps!