Two experiments were conducted with the objective of evaluating the methionine + cystine (Met + Cis) requirements, for Ross broilers, males, from 22 to 42 and 43 to 49 days old. Nine hundred broilers averaging initial body weight of 0.800 kg at 22 days old and 2.540 kg at 43 days old were used in each experiment and allotted to a completely randomized experimental design, with six treatments, six replicates and 25 birds for experimental unit. The treatments consisted of six different sinthetic methionine levels (0.00, 0.04, 0.081, 0.121, 0.162 and 0.202%), corresponding to the levels of 0.664, 0.704, 0.744, 0.784, 0.824 and 0.864% and 0.603, 0.643, 0.683, 0.723, 0.763 and 0.803% dietary total methionine + cystine, for the phases from 22 to 42 and from 43 to 49 days old, respectively. Feed intake, body weight gain, feed:gain ratio, carcass yield and the prime cuts yield were evaluated. The methionine + cystine requirements were estimated by regression models. Considering the performance data, the nutritional requirements of total methionine + cystine were 0.823% for high performance and breast yield values, in the period from 22 to 42 days old, and 0.727% for the high performance and low requirements of abdominal fat, in the period from 43 to 49 days old.
broilers; carcass characteristics; performance; nutritional requirements; sulfurous amino acids
