Lowering the dietary calcium to total phosphorus ratio increases phosphorus utilization in low-phosphorus corn-soybean meal diets supplemented with microbial phytase for growing-finishing pigs

J Anim Sci. 1998 Mar;76(3):808-13. doi: 10.2527/1998.763808x.

Abstract

Crossbred growing-finishing pigs (n = 120) were used to investigate the effect of three dietary Ca:total P (tP) ratios (1.5:1, 1.3:1, or 1.0:1) on P utilization in low-P corn-soybean meal diets supplemented with microbial phytase at 500 phytase units/kg. The basal grower (23 to 54 kg BW) diet contained .39% tP including .07% added inorganic P (iP), and the basal finisher (54 to 123 kg BW) diet contained .32% tP without added iP. An adequate-P positive control diet without phytase supplementation contained .60% Ca and .50% tP during the growing phase and .50% Ca and .40% tP during the finishing phase. Lowering the Ca:tP ratio linearly increased ADG during the growing phase (P < .03) and overall (P < .08), gain:feed ratio during the growing phase (P < .001), and P absorption during the finishing phase (P < .04). Lowering the Ca:tP ratio linearly increased BW at slaughter (P < .02), carcass weight (P < .04), bone breaking strength (P < .04), and bone ash weight (P < .06), whereas dressing percentage and backfat depth remained unchanged. In conclusion, pig performance and P utilization were increased by lowering the Ca:tP ratio from 1.5:1 to 1.0:1 in low-P corn-soybean meal diets supplemented with microbial phytase.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 6-Phytase / administration & dosage*
  • Animal Feed*
  • Animals
  • Body Composition
  • Body Constitution
  • Calcium, Dietary*
  • Food, Fortified*
  • Glycine max
  • Phosphorus* / metabolism
  • Swine / growth & development*
  • Weight Gain
  • Zea mays

Substances

  • Calcium, Dietary
  • Phosphorus
  • 6-Phytase