Table 7. Ovarian follicle numbers (n/hen) of broiler breeder hens fed gradient lysine levels at 29 weeks of age1)

Total lysine (%) Lysine intake (mg/d) Large yellow follicles Small yellow follicles Large white follicles
0.55 732 5.5b 2.3a 19.2
0.59 785 3.5a 2.8a 16.8
0.63 838 5.7b 5.8ab 22.5
0.67 891 5.3b 8.0bc 18.5
0.71 944 6.2b 8.8bc 19.5
0.75 998 5.7b 13.5c 15.8
0.79 1,051 6.0b 11.7c 15.3
SEM 0.174 0.888 0.689
p-value 0.016 0.002 0.070
Results are the mean of 6 replicates per treatment.
Means within the same column with no common script differ significantly (p < 0.05).
Large yellow follicles (> 10 mm diameter); small yellow follicles (5 to 10 mm diameter); large white follicles (3 to 5 mm diameter); SEM, standard error of the mean.