• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.145-166
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• 1975

The calcium balance study was carried out to determine the availability of calcium in different sources for chicks and laying hens. The sources of calcium were calcium carbonate (CC), dicalcium phosphate-dihydrate (DCPH), and dicalcium phosphate-anhydride (DCPA) for chicks and calcium carbonate (CC) and oyster shell (OS) for laying hens. The radioisotope dilution method was employed to measure the endogenous excreta calcium during the period of balance study following preliminary feeding. A. Experimental results with chicks: No significant difference was found among feed consumption of chicks fed diets containing different sources of calcium. Body weight gain of chicks was dependent upon the source of calcium. The gain decreased in the order of DCPH, DCPA and CC (P<0.01). The feed conversion efficiency in chicks fed DCPH was better than those in chicks fed CC or DCPA. The average tibia ash contents for chicks fed different sources of calcium were similar. The DCPH was superior to CC or DCPA regarding the calcium content in tibia ash. There were no significant differences among the average calcium contents in plasma trichloracetic acid filtrate in chicks irrespective of calcium sources. The mean apparent retention of calcium by chicks fed DCPH, CC and DCPA were 65.9, 64.0 and 59.9% respectively. The calcium to phosphorus ratios in tibia ash and plasma trichloracetic acid filtrate for chicks fed different sources of calcium were similar. The chicks fed DCPH showed the partition of endogenous excreta calcium in total excreta calcium as 35.6% which was higher than 31.0 or 31.4% for chicks fed CC or DCPA. The endogenous excreta calcium per day per chick in group fed DCPH, DCPA or CC were 17.2, 16.1 and 14.6mg respectively. The true retained calcium per day per chick in group fed DCPH were 109.9 mg which was higher than those observed with CC or DCPA group (P<0.01). The true retention of calcium by the birds fed diets containing DCPH, CC or DCPA were 78.1, 75.1 or 72.6% respectively. B. Experimental results with laying hens: The feed consumption, egg production and feed converion efficiency of laying hens fed diets containing different sources of calcium were similar. Calcium concentration in plasma trichloracetic acid filtrate in laying birds fed CC was equivalent to the value obtained by feeding OS. The apparent calcium retention by laying birds fed CC was 61.6% and it was significantly more than that of hens fed OS of 51.6% (P<0.05). The partition of endogenous excreta calcium in total excreta calcium of laying hens fed CC was 23.5% and this was higher than that of birds fed OS of 15.6%. The laying hens fed CC showed 310 mg of endogenous excreta calcium per day per bird while birds fed OS showed 261mg. The true retention of calcium by layers fed CC was 70.7% against 59.2% for birds fed OS (P<0.05).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.237-244
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• 2007

An experiment was conducted to study the growth performance, bone mineralization and mineral excretion in broiler starter chicks fed high levels of cholecalciferol (CC) at sub-optimal levels of calcium (Ca) and non-phytate phosphorus (NPP). Five hundred and sixty day-old Vencobb female broiler chicks were housed in raised wire floor stainless steel battery brooder pens ($24"{\times}30"{\times}18"$) at the rate of five chicks per pen. A maize-soyabean meal basal diet was supplemented with dicalcium phosphate, oyster shell powder and synthetic CC to arrive at two levels each of Ca (0.50 and 0.60%), and NPP (0.25 and 0.30%) and four levels of CC (200, 1,200, 2,400 and 3,600 ICU/kg) in a $2{\times}3{\times}4$ factorial design. Each diet was fed ad libitum to chicks in 7 pens from 2 to 21days of age. Body weight gain, feed intake and bone weight increased (p<0.05) with increase in level of CC at both the Ca and NPP levels tested. The CC levels required to obtain significant improvement in body weight gain and feed intake reduced (2,400 ICU/kg vs. 1,200 ICU/kg) with increase in levels of P in diet (0.25% vs. 0.3%, respectively). The feed conversion ratio was significantly improved (p<0.05) with increase in level of CC from 200 to 1,200 ICU/kg diet at 0.5% Ca, while at 0.6% Ca, the level of CC in diet did not influence the feed efficiency. Tibia mineralization (density, breaking strength and ash content) and Ca and P contents in serum increased significantly (p<0.05) with increase in levels of CC in diet. The CC effect on these parameters was more pronounced at lower levels of Ca and NPP (0.5 and 0.25%, respectively). The data on body weight gain and feed intake indicated that NPP level in diet can be reduced from 0.30 to 0.25% by increasing CC from 200 to 2,400 ICU/kg. Similarly, the bone mineralization (tibia weight, density and ash content) increased non-linearly (p<0.01) with increase in CC levels in diet. Concentrations of P and Mn in excreta decreased (p<0.01), by increasing CC level from 200 to 2,400 ICU/kg diet. It can be concluded that dietary levels of Ca and NPP could be reduced to 0.50 and 0.25%, respectively by enhancing the levels of cholecalciferol from 200 to 2,400 ICU/kg with out affecting body weight gain, feed efficiency and bone mineralization. Additionally, phosphorus and manganese excretion decreased with increase in levels of CC in broiler diet.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.719-725
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• 2003

An experiment was conducted to study the requirement of calcium (Ca) and non-phytin phosphorus (NPP) in commercial broilers during starter phase. Seven hundred and twenty day-old Vencob male broiler chicks were randomly distributed into 144 stainless steel battery brooders, 5 birds in each. Four levels each of Ca (6, 7, 8, and 9 g/kg) and NPP (3, 3.5, 4, and 4.5 g/kg diet) were fed in a factorial design in a corn-soya basal diet. Levels of dicalcium phosphate and oyster shell grit were adjusted to obtain the desired levels of Ca and NPP. Each diet was fed ad libidum to chicks in 9 battery brooders from one d to 21 d of age. Body weight gain and feed intake were depressed (p<0.01) by increasing the dietary Ca level (8 and 9 g/kg) at lower levels of NPP (3 and 3.5 g/kg diet). The growth depression observed at lower NPP level was alleviated by reducing the Ca content to 6 g/kg diet. The tibia ash content and tibia breaking strength increased with increase in both Ca (>6 g/kg) and NPP (>3 g/kg) levels. The leg abnormality score decreased (p<0.01) with increase in NPP content in the diet at all levels of Ca tested. The serum Ca and inorganic P levels were increased with increase in the level of the respective mineral in the diet, but the serum concentration of Ca and P were inversely related to the level of NPP and Ca, respectively /kg diet. In general, the excretion of macro minerals (Ca, and P), and micro minerals {zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), and copper (Cu)} was significantly lower at lower levels of Ca and NPP tested (6 and 3 g/kg diet, respectively). The mineral excretion increased with increase in dietary Ca and NPP levels, more conspicuously at the disproportionate ratio of these minerals (>2:1, Ca and NPP). Similarly, the retention of Zn, Mn, and Fe in liver was significantly higher (p<0.01) at lower levels of Ca and NPP tested. Results from this study indicate that the commercial broilers do not require more than 3 g NPP and 6g Ca/kg diet during starter phase (up to 21 d of age) for optimum weight gain, feed efficiency and utilization of Ca, P, Zn, Mn, Fe and Cu. However, the requirements of these minerals for optimum bone mineralization were higher than the levels suggested above.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.933-938
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• 2007

An experiment was conducted to study the laying performance, shell quality, bone mineralization, hatchability of eggs and performance of progeny (weight at day one and 14 d of age, P content in day old chick, leg score and survivability of chicks) of synthetic broiler breeders fed different levels of non-phytate phosphorus (NPP). Six levels of NPP (1.2, 1.8, 2.4, 3.0, 3.6 and 4.2 g/kg diet) at a constant calcium (Ca) level (30 g/kg) in a maize-soya-deoiled rice bran based diet were tested. Levels of dicalcium phosphate, shell grit and deoiled rice bran were adjusted to achieve the desired levels of NPP and Ca. Each level of NPP was fed with a weighed quantity of feed (160 g/b/d) to 40 female broiler breeders from 25 to 40 weeks of age housed in individual cages. Each bird was considered as a replicate. Egg production, feed/egg mass, body weight, egg weight, shell weight, shell thickness, egg specific gravity, serum Ca content and tibia breaking strength were not influenced (p>0.05) by the variation in dietary NPP levels tested. Increasing the dietary levels of NPP did not influence the hatchability of eggs, phosphorus (P) contents both in egg yolk and day old chick, chick body weight at day one and 14 d of age, leg score and survivability of chicks up to 14 d of age. Maximum response ($p{\leq}0.01$) in shell breaking strength, tibia ash and serum inorganic P contents were observed at NPP levels of 2.09, 2.25 and 3.50 g per kg diet, respectively. The retention of Ca increased, while the P retention decreased ($p{\leq}0.01$) with increasing dietary levels of NPP. Though maximum responses in shell breaking strength, bone ash and serum inorganic P were observed at NPP higher than 1.2 g/kg diet, the broiler breeder performance in terms of egg production, shell quality, hatchability of eggs and progeny performance and their survivability was not influenced by dietary NPP concentrations. It is concluded that synthetic broiler breeders maintained in cages do not require more than 1.2 g NPP/kg diet with a daily intake of 192 mg NPP/b/d during 24 to 40 weeks of age.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.73-79
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• 2018

The objective of this study was to calculate the unit price of an alternative feed ingredient for broiler chickens in consideration of the energy and nutritive contents in the feed ingredient by using a simple Excel worksheet. A corn-distiller's dried grains with solubles (corn-DDGS) was used as an alternative ingredient and corn and soybean meal as ingredients to be replaced. The net change of feed price was calculated based on the replacement values which were estimated in consideration of energy and nutrient concentration in feed ingredients used in the calculation, the price of feed ingredients and inclusion rate of the alternative ingredient. The nitrogen corrected apparent metabolizable energy(AMEn) and standardized ileal digestible AA including Lys, Met, Thr, and Trp, total Ca, and available P were employed as nutritive component to calculate the replacement values for individual feed ingredients. The equation for replacement was 1 ${\times}$ corn-DDGS + 0.0334 ${\times}$ soybean oil + 0.0182 ${\times}$ Limestone = 0.8893 ${\times}$ corn + 0.13 ${\times}$ soybean meal + 0.0004 ${\times}$ Lys + 0.0022 ${\times}$ Met + 0.0005 ${\times}$ Trp + 0.0028 ${\times}$ Thr + 0.0264 ${\times}$ dicalcium phosphate. The replacement price of corn-DDGS was calculated to be 270 won/kg when the inclusion rate was 15% and the energy and nutrient contents were considered in the calculation. In conclusion, the Excel-based ingredient price calculator may be useful to determine the economic value when an alternative feed ingredient is used in diets fed to broiler chickens.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.691-700
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• 2019

Objective: This study was conducted to assess increasing doses of phytase added to broiler diets formulated with different levels of available phosphorus (avP), calcium (Ca), and sodium (Na), and the respective effects on performance parameters, quantitative carcass characteristics, ash and phosphorus deposition in tibia and weight of organs. Methods: Three different matrices were assumed for phytase with the following nutritional values: matrix A (MT A): 0.165% Ca, 0.150% avP, and 0.035% Na; matrix B (MT B): 0.215% Ca, 0.195% avP, and 0.045% Na; matrix C (MT C): 0.245% Ca, 0.225% avP, and 0.053% Na. There were six different diets: No phytase (formulated to meet the nutritional requirements); phytase 500 FTU/kg+MT A; phytase 1,000 FTU/kg+MT A; phytase 1,500 FTU/kg+MT A; phytase 1,000 FTU/kg+MT B and phytase 1,500 FTU/kg+MT C. Results: There was no significant phytase influence on performance, quantitative carcass characteristics, ash and phosphorus deposition in tibia and weight of the organ throughout the study period, however, it was possible to observe a tendency of improvement in body weight corrected feed conversion for broilers fed the phytase 1,500+MT C diet, where potentially these birds were more efficient on utilize phytic phosphorus and other nutrients bounded to phytate molecule, translating into improvement in performance, and there was also a non significant numerical improvement in body weight corrected feed conversion of broilers fed this diet. Conclusion: Broilers fed with diets formulated with different levels of avP, Ca, and Na and increasing doses of phytase have shown no change on performance, quantitative carcass characteristics, ash and phosphorus deposition in tibia and weight of organs.