Effect of Level and Source of Phosphorus and Different Calcium Levels on Productivity and Phosphorus Utilization by Laying Hens1

1004

S. I. SMITH, C. W. WEBER AND B. L. REID

REFERENCES Armbrecht, B. H., and J. B. DeWitt, 1963. The comparative toxicology of Coturnix quail with other laboratory animals. 44th Meeting Am. Chem. Soc, Los Angeles, California. Cross, D. L., H. L. King and D. L. Haynes, 1962. The effects of DDT in the diet of Japanese quail. Michigan Ag. Exptl. Bull. 44: 688-696.

Cummings, J. G., K. T. Zee, V. Turner and F. Quinn, 1966. Residues in eggs from low level feeding of five chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides to hens. J. Assoc. Off. Agr. Chem. 49: 354. DeWitt, J. B., 1955. Effects of chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides upon quail and pheasants. J. Agr. Food. Chem. 3: 672. DeWitt, J. B., 1956. Chronic toxicity to quail and pheasants of some chlorinated insecticides. J. Agr. Food Chem. 4: 863. Ernst, R. A., and R. K. Ringer, 1968. The effect of DDT, Zectran and Zytron on the packed cell volume, total erythrocyte count and mean corpuscular volume of Japanese quail. Poultry Sci. 47: 639-643. Shellenberger, T. E., G. W. Newell, R. M. Bridgman and J. Barliaccia, 1965. A subacute toxicity study of N-(2-mercaptoethyl) benzene-sulfonamide S-(0,0-di-isopropyl phosphorodithioate) and phthalimidomethyl-0,0-dimethyl phosphorodithioate with Japanese quail. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 7: 550. Weber, C. W., and B. L. Reid, 1966. Unpublished data.

Effect of Level and Source of Phosphorus and Different Calcium Levels on Productivity and Phosphorus Utilization by Laying Hens 1 A. J. SALMAN, M. S. ALI AND J. MCGINNIS Department of Animal Sciences, Washington Stale University, Pullman, Washington 99163 (Received for publication November 18, 1968)

T

HE availability of plant phosphorus to laying hens has been a matter of controversy for the past few decades. Lowe et al. (1939), Krieger and Steenbock (1940), Spitzer et al. (1948), Gillis et al. (1949, 1957), and Matterson et al. (1946) have repeatedly reported that phosphorus extracted from plant material was poorly utilized by chicks and rats. McGinnis et al. (1944) suggested that phosphorus from plant sources had lower availability for chicks than other sources. This was in contrast to data by Singsen 1

Scientific Paper No. 3186, College of Agriculture, Washington State University, Pullman. Project 1921.

et al. (1950), who demonstrated by using P32 isotope as a tracer that phytin phosphorus moved freely about the body and participated in reactions requiring phosphorus. Harms et al. (1962) and Vandepopuliere et al. (1961) reported high availability of plant phosphorus for growing chicks. Recently, Singsen et al. (1967) reported no difference in the ability of various sources of phosphorus in supporting egg production. Furthermore, they indicated that 85% of phytin phosphorus from corn was available for hens. These workers observed that hens developed a higher incidence of cage layer fatigue symptom when

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for 30 days resulted in 50% mortality in the adult quail. A marked decline in fertility and, to a lesser degree, hatchability, was noted after 30 days of feeding the 400 p.p.m. diet. The day-old chicks from birds fed 400 p.p.m. DDT for 30 days exhibited ataxia and spasms. Yolk samples of these eggs contained 78 p.p.m. DDE arid 141 p.p.m. DDT. After a period of 60 days on 400 p.p.m. DDT, the yolks were found to contain 184 p.p.m. DDE and 358 p.p.m. DDT.

1005

CA AND P FOR LAYERS TABLE 1.—Composition of experimental diets Diet Ingredient 1 33.3 17.5

36.3 16.0

33.4 17.5

33.3 3.0 10.5 1.6 0.50 0.05 0.25

36.9 3.0 7.0

33.8 3.0 11.5

0.50 0.05 0.25

36.3 3.0 6.0 1.6 0.50 0.05 0.25

0.50 0.05 0.25

0.50 0.05 0.25

17.3 0.64 0.60 4.50

16.0 0.65 0.60 2.75

16.1 0.64 0.60 4.50

15.9 0.31 0.30 2.75

16.1 0.32 0.30 4.50

35.2 13.0 41.0 — 3.0 7.0 — 0.50 0.05 0.25

29.0 14.0 41.7

Analyzed % protein Analyzed % P Calculated % P Calculated % Ca

16.9 0.62 0.60 2.75

3.0 11.5

1

Supplied the following p.p.m.: manganese, 50.0; iron, 50.0; copper, 5.0; cobalt, 0.5; iodine, 1.5; zinc, 50.0. Premix supplied the following per kg. of feed: vitamin A, 4,400 I.U.; riboflavin, 3.3 mg.; Ca-pantothenate, 4.4 mg.; Santoquin, 126 mg.; vitamin D 3 , 1,100 I.C.U.; methionine, 610 mg. 2

fed the diet containing 0.34% total phosphorus. These results are not in agreement with data reported by Harms (1968), in which a 0.34% total phosphorus in the diet caused a decreased egg production and extremely high mortality. Using inorganic phosphorus, O'Roufke et al. (1952) showed phosphorus requirement to decrease with age. They found that 0.43% of phosphorus was adequate up to 3 weeks, 0.35% from 2-5 weeks, and 0.27% from 4-10 weeks. A recent study by Berg et al. (1964) showed that the entire phosphorus requirement of 0.3% of growing pullets (8-21 weeks) could be supplied by phosphorus of plant origin. Nott et al. (1967) reported that phytin phosphorus availability for laying hens was reduced by high levels of calcium in the diet. These workers suggested Caphytate complex formation which may hinder the availability of the phosphorus. It should be emphasized here that many of the earlier studies were conducted using isolated phytin phosphorus. Gerry and Bird (1967) have shown that egg shell thickness did not increase with a high level of 3.75% calcium in the diet; how-

ever, bone ash was increased slightly The experiments reported in this paper were conducted to ascertain the availability and utilization of plant phosphorus source for the laying hen and to determine whether a high level (4.5%) calcium in the diet would result in poor utilization of plant phosphorus resulting from Caphytate salt formation. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

Two experiments were conducted using Single Comb White Leghorn pullets. In the first experiment, 80 thirty-two week old pullets were distributed into four treatments, with four replicates of five pullets each. In the second experiment, 216 twenty-week old pullets were distributed into six treatments, with six replicates of six hens each. Composition of the experimental diets is given in Table 1. Diets 1 through 4 were fed in the first experiment, and diets 1 through 6 were used in the second experiment. In both experiments conducted, wheat mixed feeds supplied the bulk of the plant phosphorus when 0.6% plant phosphorus was formulated in the diets. Protein analysis

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36.3 16.0

Ground yellow corn Soybean meal (50% protein) Wheat mixed feeds Soft western wheat Dehydrated alfalfa (17% protein) Limestone Dicalcium phosphate Salt (iodized) Trace mineral mix1 Chicken layer and breeder premix2

1006

A. J. SALMAN, M. S. ALI AND J. MCGINNIS

TABLE 2.—Experiment 1. % egg production for

pullets fed 0.6% total phosphorus from different sources

P(%)

Egg production (28-day) %

Ca (%) 1

0.6 0.6 0.3 0.3

(o)l (o) ( 0 ) ^ + 0 . 3 (i) ( o ) + 0 . 3 (i)

2.75 4.50 2.75 4.50

73 74 71 72

2 a a a a

58 51 55 64

3 b a ab b

62 64 59 61

a a a a

1

(o) phosphorus from plant origin. - (i) phosphorus from an inorganic source. Means with the same letter are not significantly different at the 5% probability level.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS In both experiments conducted, wheat mixed feeds supplied the bulk of the plant phosphorus when 0.6% plant phosphorus was formulated in the diet. In experiment 1, pullets on high or low levels of plant phosphorus performed equally well, indicating no chelation of the plant phosphorus by calcium, as was reported by Nott et al. (1967). The all-plant phosphorus diets supported egg production as optimally as the plant and inorganic phosphorus containing diets (Table 2). Egg size and feed conversion values were not statistically different among treatments. Pullets from all treatments lost weight, however the loss was not statistically significant (Table 3). Total phosphorus analysis for the phosphorus retention studies were similar whether the analysis was conducted by gravimetric or colorimetric technique. Retention values for phosphorus in hens on the different dietary regimes were variable. Furthermore, pullets on 0.3% plant phosphorus plus 0.3% inorganic phosphorus retained more phosphorus than pullets fed diets containing phosphorus from a plant source only. The differences TABLE 3.—Experiment 1. Egg weight, body weight

gains, feed conversion values of pullets fed 0.6% total phosphorus

P(%)

0.6 0.6 0.3 0.3

(o) (o) ( o ) + 0 . 3 (i) ( o ) + 0 . 3 (i)

Ca (%)

2.75 4.50 2.75 4.50

Egg weight (gm.) 62.8 62.1 63.5 62.2

a a a a

Body weight gain/ pullet (gm.)

kg. of feed/doz. eggs

-35 -28 -42 - 5

1.70 1.80 1.73 1.78

a a a a

Means with the same letter are not significantly different at the 5% probability level.

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was conducted using the macro-Kjeldahl and total phosphorus was determined by both gravimetric and colorimetric methods, as described by Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (1960) and Fisher (1962), respectively. The temperature in the layer house was maintained between 15.5 and 21.0°C. (60 and 70°F.) Pullets were subjected to 14 hours light per day. In the first experiment, two diets had 0.6% phosphorus of plant origin with 2.75 and 4.50% calcium. The other two had 0.3% phosphorus from plant origin and 0.3% phosphorus from dicalcium phosphate at the two levels of calcium. In the second experiment, the first four treatments were identical to those in experiment 1 and in addition, two treatments (5 and 6), employing 0.3% phosphorus from plant origin at the above levels of calcium, were used in the comparisons. In both experiments, initial and final body weights were taken and body weight gains were calculated. Daily egg production was recorded and results expressed on a hen-day basis. Feed consumption was kept and calculated as feed consumed per dozen eggs. Egg size was determined by weighing eggs for three days at the end of each 28-day period. Phosphorus retention studies were conducted using the chromic oxide indicator method as described by Hill and Anderson (1958). Partial excreta collection was

made in 4% boric acid. Bone ash of tibia of six pullets from each treatment was determined. Shell thickness measurements were also conducted on 60 eggs of each treatment at 32 weeks of age.

1007

CA AND P FOR LAYERS

TABLE 4.—Experiment 2. Gravimetric and colorimetric analysis of feed and excreta for phosphorus and phosphorus retention

TABLE 5.—Experiment 2. Egg weight, shell thickness and mortality values from pullets fed different sources and levels of phosphorus P(%) 0.6 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

(o) (o) (o)+0.3 (i) (o)+0.3 (i) (o) (o)

Diet

1 2 3 4 5 6

Colorimetric analysis

Excreta

Feed

Excreta

Feed

2.36 2.15 1.65 1.75 0.98 1.04

0.68 0.69 0.63 0.70 0.35 0.32

2.52 2.24 1.91 1.83 1.03 0.92

0.62 0.64 0.65 0.64 0.31 0.32

"

%P retained/ gm. of feed 0.12 0.22 0.23 0.24 0.09 0.09

(%)

Egg weight (gm.)

2.75 4.50 2.75 4.50 2.75 4.50

57.6 56.5 57.4 55.7 56.9 57.1

Shell thickness (mm.) 35.1 35.8 34.8 34.5 35.6 35.5

a a a a a a

Mortality

(%) 16.6 8.3 8.3

11.4 11.4 2.8

Means with the same letter are not significantly different at the 5% probability level.

when the pullets were fed either plant phosphorus or a combination of plant phosphorus and calcium phosphate (Table 7). Average egg production for the six periods (28 days each) was lower than expected as optimal performance. This is due to the inclusion of the first 28-day period where production was as low as 22%. Pullets on the low level of phosphorus (0.3%) performed as well as pullets fed 0.6% total phosphorus (Table 7). These results are in agreement with Singsen el al. (1967), who indicated that 0.34% phosphorus was adequate for egg production. These workers observed an increased incidence of cage layer fatigue in pullets fed this low level of phosphorus. None of the hens used in either of the two experiments reported showed signs of this condition. The drop in egg production in the first TABLE 6.—Experiment 2. Eject of feeding different levels of plant phosphorus at two levels of calcium on body weight gain and bone ash

P(%)

% P/gm. Gravimetric analysis

Ca level

0.6 (o) 0.6 (o) 0.3 ( o ) + 0 . 3 (i) 0.3 (o)+0.3 (i) 0.3 (o) 0.3 (o)

Body weight C a ( % ) gain/pullet (gm.) 2.75 4.50 2.75 4.50 2.75 4.50

+250 + 81 +110 +15 +228 +190

R

, *<"**? W °> 54.2 a 56.3 a 53.5 a 57.1a 56.6 a 54.5 a

Means with the same letter are not significantly different at the 5% probability level.

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among the analytical data from both methods, although insignificant, tend to be magnified when retention values are calculated (Table 4). The high level of calcium in the diet did not improve shell thickness. This is in agreement with data reported by Gerry and Bird (1967). Egg size was not significantly different at the 5% probability level (Table 5). Mortality of pullets fed the diet containing 0.3% plant phosphorus and 4.5% Ca was only 2.8% (Table 5). These results are in marked contrast to those recently reported by Harms (1968) where 50% of the hens were fed a similar phosphorus level diet. It is possible that some factor in addition to the phosphorus level of the diets may have contributed to this exceptionally high mortality. In the second experiment, pullets on all treatments gained weight. Furthermore, pullets fed the lower level of calcium (2.75%) at all levels and sources of phosphorus gained more weight than those fed the higher level of calcium (Table 6). No statistical differences in tibia ash were observed among treatments (Table 6). Feed conversion values were relatively high but not significantly different. This is because of the low values of egg production of the pullets (22%) as they were coming into production during the first 28-day period (Table 7). Egg production values were not significantly different

1008

A. J. SALMAN, M. S. ALI AND J. MCGINNIS TABLE 7.—Experiment 2. Effects of la calcium levels on egg pn

and source of phosphorus and different lotion and feed efficiency Egg production (%)

P(%)

(o) (o) (o)+0.3 (i) (o)+0.3 (i) (o) (o)

20-24 weeks

%

%

%

2.75 4.50 2.75 4.50 2.75 4.50

22.2 22.8 21.7 21.0 22.7 24.5

65.6 66.9 70.9 68.3 66.0 68.3

76.5 78.0 82.9 79.7 76.9 79.7

experiment could be attributed to the change-over from the practical to the experimental diets. This was not observed in the second experiment because the pullets were started on the respective experimental diets at 20 weeks of age. The retention of phosphorus by pullets on all treatments, as well as the optimal performance of the pullets on the 0.3% plant phosphorus, indicates that plant phytin phosphorus apparently is contributing to the overall metabolism of the body as indicated by the measured parameters which include egg production, bone ash, shell thickness and phosphorus retention. These data are in agreement with the results reported by Mitchell and McClure (1937), who reported that 0.35% dietary phosphorus on a dry matter basis was sufficient to support 75% egg production. This value approximates 0.31% when corrected to 12% moisture in the feed. SUMMARY

Two experiments were conducted to study the influence of phosphorus source and levels and calcium levels on the general performance of SCWL pullets. Plant phosphorus was as available for egg production, egg shell formation, bone ash and body weight maintenance as the mixture of plant phosphorus and inorganic phosphorus. Calcium level had no influence on

20-44 weeks

24-44 weeks

of

feed/dozen °°

1.93 1.92 1.83 1.95 2.01 1.91

performance when fed at 2.75 and 4.5%. A calculated level of 0.3% plant phosphorus was adequate for egg production and over-all performance of pullets with both levels of calcium fed. A high level of calcium did not impair phosphorus availability. No cage layer fatigue symptoms were observed in either of the experiments and mortality of pullets in both experiments was considered to be in a normal range. REFERENCES Association of Official Agricultural Chemists, 1960. Official Methods of Analysis, Washington, D. C. Berg, L. R., G. E. Bearse and L. H. Merrill, 1964. The calcium and phosphorus requirement of White Leghorn pullets from 8-21 weeks. Poultry Sci. 43: 885-896. Fisher, R. B., 1962. A Basic Course in the Theory and Practice of Quantitative Analysis. Second edition. W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Gerry, R. W., and F. H. Bird, 1967. The performance of RedXRock sex links as affected by calcium levels in their growing and laying hens. Poultry Sci. 46: 1264. Gillis, M. B., K. W. Keane and R. A. Collins, 1957. Comparative metabolism of phytate and inorganic P32 by chicks and poults. J. Nutrition, 62: 13-26. Gillis, M. B., L. C. Norris and G. F. Heuser, 1949. The effect of phytin on the phosphorus requirement of the chick. Poultry Sci. 28: 283-288. Harms, R. H., 1968. Some practical consideration of the phosphorus nutrition of poultry. Feedstuffs, 40: 34.

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0.6 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

K g

Ca (%)

CA AND P FOR LAYERS

Nott, H., T. R. Morris and T. G. Taylor, 1967. Utilization of phytate phosphorus by laying hens and young chicks. Poultry Sci. 46: 1301. O'Rourke, W. F., P. H. Phillips and W. W. Cravens, 1952. The phosphorus requirement of growing chickens as related to age. Poultry Sci. 3 1 : 962966. Singsen, E. P., L. D. Matterson and A. Kozeff, 1950. Phosphorus in poultry nutrition. IV. Radioactive phosphorus as a tracer in studying the metabolism of phytin by the turkey poult. Poultry Sci. 29: 635-639. Singsen, E. P., L. D. Matterson, J. J. Tlustohowicz, J. A. Serafin and W. J. Pudelkiewicz, 1967. Phosphorus in the nutrition of the adult hen. 2. The relative availability of phosphorus from several sources. Poultry Sci. 46: 1319. Spitzer, R. R., G. Maruyama, L. Michand and P. H. Phillips, 1948. The role of vitamin D in the utilization of phytin phosphorus. J. Nutrition, 35: 185-193. Vandepopuliere, J. M., C. B. Ammerman and R. H. Harms, 1961. The relationship of calcium phosphorus ratios to the utilization of plant and inorganic phosphorus by the chick. Poultry Sci. 40: 951-957.

Semen Characteristics and Fertility of Meat-Type Chickens Given Increasing Daily Photoperiods H. S. SIEGEL, 1 P. B. SIEGEL AND W. L. BEANE Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060 (Received for publication November 20, 1968)

P

ROGRESSIVE increases in daylength during the laying period have been shown to redistribute and, in some cases, to increase the total egg production of Leghorn-type layers (King, 1959; Morris andFox, 1961; Siegel et al, 1963). Although its use has not been extensive for meattype stocks, retardation of early egg production with a subsequent extension of the period of lay would be useful in the production of broiler chicks (Marr et al., 1

Present address: Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, Animal Husbandry Research Division, ARS, USD A, Athens, Georgia 30601.

1957, 1960). The effect of progressively increasing daylength on the sexually mature male is not clear. Sexual cycles of male starlings andfinches have been modified by changes in the dailyphotoperiod(Bissonnette, 1931 ;Hamner, 1963). White Leghorn cocks exposed to 12 or more hours of light per day had greater increases in semen yield over initial values than those receiving shorter periods (Lamoreaux, 1943) and Rhode Island Red males exposed to longer than natural daylengths were found to have higher semen volumes, sperm concentra-

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Harms, R. H., P. W. Waldroup, R. L. Shirley and C. B. Ammerman, 1962. Availability of phytic acid phosphorus for chicks. Poultry Sci. 41: 11891191. Hill F. W., and D. L. Anderson, 1958. Comparison of metabolizable energy and productive energy determination with growing chicks. J. Nutrition, 64: 587-603. Krieger, C. H., and H. Steenbock, 1940. Cereals and rickets. XII. The effects of calcium and vitamin D on the availability of phosphorus. J. Nutrition, 20: 125-132. Lowe, J. T., H. Steenbock and C. H. Krieger, 1939. Cereals and rickets. IX. The availability of phytin-P to the chick. Poultry Sci. 18: 40-44. Matterson, L. D., H. M. Scott and E. P. Singsen, 1946. The influence of sources of phosphorus on the relative efficiency of vitamin D 3 and cod liver oil in promoting calcification in poults. J. Nutrit i o n a l : 599-608. McGinnis, J., L. C. Norris and G. F. Heuser, 1944. Poor utilization of phosphorus in cereals and legumes by chicks for bone development. Poultry Sci. 23: 157-159. Mitchell, H. H., and F. J. McClure, 1937. Mineral nutrition of farm animals. Nat. Res. Council Bull. 99.

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