The effects of phytase supplementation on the performance of broiler chickens fed diets with different levels of non-phytate phosphorus

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of phytase supplementation to the diets containing different levels of non-phytate phosphorus (NPP). A 3x2 factorial arrangement of treatments was employed. There were three dietary NPP levels of control (C) (0.45% for starter diet and 0.35% for grower diet), C-0.1% NPP (0.35% for starter diet and 0.25% for grower diet), and C-0.2% NPP (0.25% for starter diet and 0.15% for grower diet) and two phytase levels (0 and 500 U/kg). Reduced dietary NPP decreased feed intake and weight gain and increased mortality whereas dietary phytase increased feed intake and weight gain and decreased mortality. Supplemental phytase improved availabilities of dry matter, crude fat, ash, P, Zn, Mg, and Cu whereas dietary NPP level did not affect availabilities of nutrients except decreased Zn availability and increased Cu availability in reduced NPP diets. Nutrient retention of N, ash, Ca, P, Mg, and Zn were linearly decreased as dietary NPP levels reduced but dietary phytase increased their retention. Reduced dietary NPP increased ash excretion but decreased P and Cu excretion while dietary phytase decreased N excretion. Weight, length, girth and contents of ash, Ca, P and Mg of tibia linearly decreased as dietary NPP levels reduced. Dietary phytase increased length and ash content of tibia. It is concluded that dietary phytase can reduce P excretion and alleviate adverse affects caused by feeding low dietary NPP. Effects of phytase were greater in the lower NPP diets.