The objective was to estimate the nutritional requirements of digestible lysine for Japanese laying quails. Two hundred and forty Japanese quails were allotted to a completely randomized block designs, with five diets, with six replications of eight birds each. Diets consisted of a basal ration deficient in lysine and supplemented with five levels 0.88, 0.96, 1.04, 1.12 or 1.20%) of digestible lysine. Feed consumption, egg production, egg weight and egg mass, feed conversion by egg mass (FCEM) and by dozen egg were evaluated. It was also evaluated, albumen weight, yolk weight and shell weight, percentages of albumen, yolk and shell and egg specific gravity. Dietary digestible lysine level linearly influenced feed intake, while egg production was affected in a quadratic faction by digestible lysine levels. The other characteristics were not affected by dietary digestible lysine levels. Dietary digestible lysine requirement for Japanese laying quails was estimated in 1.03%, which correspond to a daily intake of 292 mg of digestible lysine.
amino acid; Coturnix coturnix japonica; egg production
