## 3 Results
### Laying Performance and Egg Quality  
Hen laying performance for the study duration (20 to 39 WOA) on a weekly basis is shown in Figure 2. Moreover, the laying performance from 20 to 29 WOA and 30 to 39 WOA separately, as well as for the entire duration from 20 to 39 WOA are presented in Table 5. The results showed that dietary treatments had a trend effect on hen-day egg production during 20-29 WOA (\(p=0.051\)), where hens fed the RP-EAA, RP-EAA-Ile, and RP-EAA-Val diets had lower egg production compared to the SP diet. At 30-39 WOA, dietary treatments did not affect the hen-day egg production (\(p>0.05\)). Over the entire study, hen-day egg production tended to be increased in hens fed the SP diet and diets  
Figure 1: In-house temperature and relative humidity from weeks 20 to 39.  
deficient in Gly, Arg, Leu, and His compared to those offered the RP, EAA-Val, and EAA-Ile diets (_p_ = 0.098, Table 5). Figure 2: Average (LSM \(\pm\) SEM) egg weight, hen day egg production, egg mass, and FCR of the dietary treatments from weeks 20 to 39. SP: standard-protein diet (17.24% CP); RP: reduced-protein diet (15.00% CP) plus sufficient levels of Lys, Met, and Thr); RP-EAA: reduced-protein (15% CP) plus sufficient levels of all essential AA); RP-EAA-Trp: RP-EAA minus Trp; RP-EAA-Val: RP-EAA minus Val; RP-EAA-Ile: RP-EAA minus Ile; RP-EAA-Arg: RP-EAA minus Arg; RP-EAA-Leu: RP-EAA minus Leu; RP-EAA-His: RP-EAA minus His; RP-EAA-Phe: RP-EAA minus Phe; RP-EAA-Gly: RP-EAA minus Glycineequivalent. Egg weight was significantly reduced in hens offered the RP-EAA-Arg diet, followed by the RP-EAA-Val, RP-EAA-Ile, RP-EAA-Leu, RP-EAA-Trp, and RP diet compared to hens offered the SP diet during 20 to 29 WOA (\(p\) < 0.001). Egg weight of hens fed the RP-EAA, RP-EAA-His, and RP-EAA-Gly diets were not different from the SP diet during the same period (\(p\) > 0.05). From 30 to 39 WOA, hens offered the RP-EAA-Arg diet presented the lowest egg weight, followed by RP-EAA-Val and RP-EAA-Ile groups compared to the SP group (\(p\) = 0.032), whereas no differences were observed for egg weight of the hens offered the RP, RP-EAA, and RP diets deficient in Trp, Leu, His, Phe, and Gly (\(p\) > 0.05). Over the entire study from 20 to 39 WOA, hens fed the RP-EAA-Ile diet had the lowest egg weight, followed by the RP-EAA-Val and RP groups as compared to the SP, RP-EAA-His, and RP-EAA-Gly groups (\(p\) < 0.001). However, no differences in egg weight were observed between the RP-EAA, RP-EAA-Trp, RP-EAA-Arg, RP-EAA-Leu, and RP-EAA-Phe treatments in comparison to the SP treatment (\(p\) > 0.05, Table 5). Egg mass was lower in hens fed the RP-EAA-Ile diet, followed by the RP-EAA-Val, RP, RP-EAA, and RP-EAA-Arg groups compared to the SP group from 20 to 29 WOA (\(p\) < 0.0001). However, birds fed the RP-EAA-Gly diet presented the highest egg mass compared to the RP-EAA diet, but the RP diets deficient in Trp, Leu, His, and Phe diets had similar effects (\(p\) > 0.05). During 30 to 39 WOA, the lowest egg mass was observed in birds fed the RP-EAA-Arg diet, followed by RP-EAA-Val, RP-EAA-Ile, RP, RP-EAA-Leu, and RP-EAA-Phe groups as compared to the SP group (\(p\) = 0.012), and the differences were identical for the RP diets deficient in Trp, His and Gly compared to the RP-EAA and/or SP diet (\(p\) > 0.05). Overall, egg mass was significantly decreased in birds fed the RP-EAA-Ile diet, followed by the RP-EAA-Val and RP groups, compared to the SP group (\(p\) < 0.001), while the effects of other essential AA deficiencies in RP diets were similar compared to the RP-EAA and SP diets (\(p\) > 0.05, Table 5). Hens fed the RP-EAA-Gly, SP, RP, and RP-EAA-His diets had higher feed intake during 20-29 WOA compared to those fed the RP-EAA diet (\(p\) = 0.039). The remaining AA-deficient treatments had similar effects on feed intake compared to the SP and RP-EAA treatments during 20 to 29 WOA (\(p\) > 0.05). Hens fed the RP-EAA-His, RP, and SP diets had higher feed intake compared to those offered the RP-EAA-Phe, RP-EAA, RP-EAA-Leu and RP-EAA-Gly diets (\(p\) = 0.018).