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Title: EFFECT OF DIETARY PHOSPHORUS CONCENTRATION, AND INCLUSION OF PHYTASE AND 25-HYDROXYCHOLECALCIFEROL ON BROILER CHICKEN BONE MINERALIZATION, LITTER TOTAL AND WATER SOLUBLE PHOSPHORUS AND PROCESSING YIELDS AND LOSSES

Author
item ANGEL, R. - UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
item SAYLOR, W. - UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
item Mitchell, Alva
item POWERS, W. - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item APPLEGATE, T. - PURDUE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/29/2005
Publication Date: 7/1/2006
Citation: Angel, R., Saylor, W.W., Mitchell, A., Powers, W., Applegate, T.J., Dhandu, A.S. 2006. Effect of dietary phosphorus concentration, and inclusion of phytase and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol on broiler chicken bone mineralization, litter total and water soluble phosphorus and processing yields and losses. Journal of Poultry Science. 85(7):1200-1211.

Interpretive Summary: Recent research suggests that non-phytin phosphorous (nPP) recommendations for broiler chickens exceed requirements. Feed additives like phytase (PHY) and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25D) have been shown to reduce the need for supplemental phosphorus (P) by improving the utilization of dietary phytin P (PP). However, most of these studies have not focused on the impact of feeding lower dietary nPP concentrations, with or without feed additives, on processing losses as well as litter P and water soluble P (wsP). Three floor pen broiler experiments were conducted to evaluate nPP concentrations and nPP sparing effect of PHY and 25D on bone mineralization, bone breaking during commercial processing, litter P and wsP concentrations. These results suggest that feeding diets low in P together with PHY and/or PHY+25D will not affect performance or increase losses at catching and processing while resulting in improved P retention and reductions in P and wsP excreted.

Technical Abstract: Three floor pen broiler experiments were conducted to evaluate reduced non-phytin P (nPP) concentrations and nPP sparing effect of phytase (PHY) and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25D) on bone mineralization, bone breaking during commercial processing, litter P and water soluble P (wsP) concentrations. Six treatments (Trt) replicated nine or 10 times were tested: NRC (1994) nPP (C); University of Maryland nPP (UMD); UMD nPP-0.064% (UMD+PHY); UMD nPP-0.09% (UMD+PHY+25D); NRC nPP-0.10% (C+PHY) and 90% UMD nPP (NC). Diets in Trt 3 and 5 contained 600 U PHY/kg and Trt 4 contained 600 U of PHY+70 'g of 25D/kg. Performance results are presented in a separate paper. Following each Exp, litter P and wsP were determined and bone measurements obtained on 8 or 10 broilers/pen. Trt did not affect BW of sampled broilers. Femur ash wt of broilers fed the UMD and UMD+PHY+25D Trt was lower in all Exp compared to that of broilers fed the C Trt diet. Femur ash was similar for C and UMD+PHY Trt broilers yet, averaged over all Exp, UMD+PHY Trt broilers consumed 39% less nPP and used less nPP per g of femur ash than those on the C Trt (4.87 and 7.77 g nPP/g femur ash, respectively, Exp 3). At the end of Exp 3, 22 broilers/pen were caught and transported by a commercial catching crew and processed in a commercial facility. Despite reductions in nPP intake and bone mineralization, no differences were observed in processing plant measurements of economic importance (parts lost, carcass yield, and incidence of broken bones). P excretion/bird was lowest for birds fed the UMD+PHY+25D followed by those in the UMD+PHY and NC (10.44, 12.00, 13.78 g P/bird, respectively) and highest for those fed the C Trt (19.55 g P/bird). These results suggest that feeding diets low in P together with PHY and/or PHY+25D will not affect performance or increase losses at catching and processing while resulting in improved P retention and reductions in P and wsP excreted.