Improving Phosphorus Availability in Soybean Meal for Broilers by Supplemental Phytase

Abstract A 21-d experiment was conducted with day-old male broilers (n = 840) to evaluate the effectiveness of supplemental phytase for improving the availability of phytate P in soybean meal when varying levels of P were fed. The semi-purified basal diet (.18% phytate P) contained soybean meal as the only protein source. Seven levels of phytase (0, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1,000, and 1,200 U/kg diet) were added to diets formulated to contain .20, .27, or .34% nonphytate P (nP; or .38, .45, and .52% total P, respectively). The desired levels of nP in the three basal P diets were achieved by adding varying amounts of defluorinated phosphate. A 2:1 Ca:total P ratio was maintained in all diets. Body weight gains and feed intake were improved (P