Phosphorus studies in pigs. 1. Available phosphorus requirements of grower/finisher pigs.
Two experiments were conducted to determine the available P requirements of grower and grower/finisher pigs and to define the conditions for conducting a growth assay for P availability. In the first experiment, diets with four levels of calculated available P (1-4 g/kg) and four Ca:available P ratios (1.7-2.9) were used to determine the available P requirements of grower pigs. The diets were formulated by substituting the required amounts of limestone and sodium tripolyphosphate for sugar in a soya-bean meal and sugar-based diet. In addition to measuring growth responses, a range of bones were examined to determine the most suitable criteria for assessing the response to available P. There was a small quadratic response of feed intake and growth rate of the pigs to level of available P, with maximum responses occurring to approximately 3 g available P/kg (P < 0.05). There were linear depressing effects of increasing Ca:available P ratios on carcass gain and feed conversion ratio (P < 0.01) but most of these effects occurred when the ratio exceeded 2.5:1. All bone variables examined increased linearly (P < 0.05) or curvilinearly (P < 0.01) with increasing available P concentration. In general, these variables were not affected by the Ca:available P ratio. The results of the growth responses and bone development indicate that the grower pig requires approximately 3 g available P/kg. However, for availability assays, where linearity of response is needed, the dietary concentration of available P should be a maximum of approximately 2 g/kg. In the second experiment four levels of calculated available P (1-4 g/kg) with a Ca:available P ratio of 2.5:1 were used to determine the available P requirements of grower/finisher pigs from 20 to 90 kg live weight. At 50 kg live weight the dietary available P concentration for half the pigs fed at 2, 3 and 4 g available P/kg was reduced to 1, 2 and 3 g/kg respectively. The pigs were fed ad lib, and growth performance, bone characteristics, P retention and ash concentration in the empty body were taken as response criteria to assess P adequacy. Among the variables tested, the ash concentration in the radius/ulna bone and P and ash concentrations in the empty body appeared to be more responsive than other variables to the changes in dietary P levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Ketaren
P P
PP
NSW Agriculture, Wollongbar Agricultural Institute, Australia.
Batterham
E S
ES
White
E
E
Farrell
D J
DJ
Milthorpe
B K
BK
D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001846:Bone Development; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D009753:Nutritive Value; D016226:Phosphorus, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013552:Swine / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*
D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D016226:Phosphorus, Dietary