Reducing Phosphorus Excretion in Broilers

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of different nutritional strategies on reducing phosphorus excretion by broilers. The results of the study showed that phosphorus excretion could be reduced while maintaining productivity through diet formulation and the use of phytase supplementation. Feeding broilers to maximize body weight with the use of phytase enzymes resulted in body weights and feed conversions that did not differ significantly from those of birds fed diets based on NRC recommendations or diets that contained a 0.05 percent greater phosphorus as a margin of safety. Tibia ash of these broilers was only slightly less than that of birds fed the NRC or commercial levels, with no indications of increased mortality or leg disorders among the birds. Using these low phosphorus levels together with phytase supplementation resulted in more than 50 percent reduction in fecal phosphorus excretion compared to the birds fed the diets with the NRC recommendation. This is another report showing that phytase supplements can improve the digestibility of phytate phosphorus and reduce phosphorus in poultry waste.

Waldroup, P.W. 2001. Implementation of nutritional strategies to reduce phosphorus excretion by broilers. Report of research funded by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, Tucker, GA. (www. poultryegg.org).