Effect of dietary available phosphorus and organic acids on the performance and egg quality of laying hens

SUMMARY Phosphorus is essential for the growth of poultry, particularly for bone development. Eighty percent or more of the total P is in the form of phytate. Monogastrics, such as chickens and pigs, do not secrete the enzyme that breaks down phytates and separates P in grains or oil meals. Organic acids (OA) effectively check the growth of mold and bacteria. Furthermore, adding OA to feed can lower the gastric pH. Low gastric pH accelerates the conversion of pepsinogen to pepsin, which improves the absorption rate of proteins, amino acids, and minerals. This experiment was performed to examine the effect of adding OA to feeds with different available P (AP) levels in terms of egg productivity, egg quality, and IgY levels. Results suggest that the AP level in feed does not have to be higher than 0.3%, when compared with 0.4% AP in the diet. Supplementation of 0.2% OA to the 0.3% AP diet showed the best results in hen-housed egg production, soft-shell plus broken egg production, FCR, and egg yolk IgY. However, the best eggshell color was obtained in the 0.4% AP and 0.2% OA diet.