Calcium and phosphorus utilisation in chickens fed on diets high in n‐alkane‐grown yeast

Abstract

1. Interactions between calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) were studied in young chickens fed on diets high in n‐alkane‐grown yeast and in chicks fed on control soya‐fishmeal diets for 14 d.

2. Additions of inorganic Ca to diets containing 300 g yeast/kg caused increases in body‐weight gain, gain :food ratio and bone mineralisation up to a total dietary concentration of 13.9 g Ca/kg.

3. At all additions of Ca, bone mineralisation was inferior in yeast‐fed chicks compared with control chicks.

4. Supplementation of high Ca diets (16.8 g Ca/kg) with inorganic P led to further improvements in body‐weight gain, food intake and food utilisation of chicks fed on high‐yeast diets. Bone mineralisation also improved but was always inferior in the yeast‐fed chicks compared with control chicks.

5. It was concluded that Ca and P supplementation was necessary in high‐yeast diets due to low dietary Ca concentrations and low availability.

Notes

Present address: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maiduguri, PMB 1069, Maiduguri, Nigeria.