Inorganic feed phosphate type determines mineral digestibility, broiler performance, and bone mineralization

Abstract

Summary: An experiment was conducted to evaluate early broiler performance, tibia mineralization, and mineral digestibility of broilers fed with diets that differed in inorganic feed phosphates (IFP) but were formulated to be similar in dietary nonphytate phosphorus (nPP) content and calcium-to-phosphorus ratio (Ca:P), total mineral content, or calculated prececal digestible phosphorus (CPDP). Dicalcium phosphate (DCP), monodicalcium phosphate (MDP), monocalcium phosphate (MCP), and defluorinated phosphate were used in formulations with similar nPP content and Ca:P. In addition to these 4 treatments, a mixture of MCP, monosodium phosphate, and DCP was used to assimilate total mineral content of MDP (DMM). Moreover, a mixture of MCP and silicon dioxide was used to produce a similar CPDP content as the DCP diet (MCP + SiO2). The MCP + SiO2 diet had the lowest IFP inclusion. The study used a randomized complete block design with 10 replications of 10 male broilers fed with each of the 6 dietary treatments for 21 D. Linear contrasts were used to compare treatments of interest. Birds fed with MCP demonstrated increased live weight gain, tibia ash (mg/chick), and mineral digestibility compared with birds fed with DCP when diets were formulated to similar nPP content and Ca:P (P < 0.05). When diets were formulated to similar total mineral content, MDP-fed birds showed an increase in tibia ash (%) and mineral digestibility compared with birds fed with DMM (P < 0.05). Birds fed with MCP + SiO2 had increased mineral digestibility compared with birds fed with DCP when diets were formulated to similar CPDP content (P < 0.05). Dietary inclusion and efficacy data suggest that diets formulated using CPDP may optimize feed P incorporation and utilization.

Keywords

• inorganic feed phosphate
• monocalcium phosphate
• dicalcium phosphate
• monodicalcium phosphate
• phosphorus digestibility