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Abstract
1. The Reading model for the egg production of a flock as determined by the intake of a single amino acid is based on the assumption that other amino acid intakes are not limiting egg production. This can result in an overestimation of the optimum intakes of each amino acid considered.
2. In this paper a model is introduced and an optimisation procedure presented that will allow the calculation of the optimal amounts of each of a number of amino acid intakes.
3. The method is illustrated by an example and the sensitivity of the results to different methods of calculation and different values of the parameters investigated.
4. A computer program, available from the authors, calculates optimal amino acid intakes for a flock defined in terms of the distribution of body weight and potential maximum egg production of the birds; the costs of the amino acids, and the value of a unit of extra egg production. The program also allows the flock to be divided into 2 sub‐flocks according to body weight and optimal diets calculated for each sub‐flock.