Investigation of the metabolism of colostomized laying hens with 15N-labelled wheat. 6

Three colostomized laving hens received 40 g 15N-labelled wheat with 20.13 atom-% 15N excess (15N'), 19.18 atom-% 15N'-lysine, 18.17 atom-% 15N'-histidine and 20.43 atom-% 15N'-arginine per day over a period of four days. After having received the same non-labelled feed ration on the following four days, the hens were slaughtered. The incorporation and distribution of 15N' in the total nitrogen and the nitrogen of the basic amino acids was determined in liver, kidneys, muscles, bones and the remaining carcass (excluding blood, digestive tract and genital organs). The quota of nitrogen of natural isotope frequency (14N) of the total 14N of the hens' carcasses was 47% in the muscles, 14% in the bones and 20% in the feathers; the relative 15N' values were 37%, 8% and 1%, resp. The atom-% 15N' in the kidneys was twice as much as in the liver four days after the last 15N' application. The average percentage of the nitrogen in the three basic amino acids of the total nitrogen in the tissues and organs (excluding feathers) is 25% concerning both 14N and 15N'. The 15N' balance revealed that in hen 1 100%, in hen 2 102% and in hen 3 101% of the consumed wheat 15N' were found. (author)