The effects of genotype by lysine level interaction on performance traits of meat type quails during the growing period of five hundred seventy-six meat type quails of both genders, from two genetic groups (EV1 and EV2), were evaluated in a completely randomized experimental design with six different levels of total lysine (1.4; 1.5; 1.6; 1.7; 1.8, and 1.9%), and four replicates of 12 quails per experimental unit. The recorded traits for each experimental period (from hatching to the 21st day and from hatching to the 42nd day of age), were: body weight (g), weight gain (g), feed intake (g), and feed: weight gain ratio (g/g). Significant effects of genotype by lysine interaction were observed on all the performance traits evaluated in both periods. The total lysine requirements from hatching to the 21st day of age and from hatching to 42 days of age for EV1 and EV2 lines were 1.7 and 1.7% and 1.6 and 1.6%, respectively.
quail; genotype x environment interaction; lysine; weight gain; feed: weight ratio
