An Estimate of the Phosphorus Requirement of Broad Breasted Bronze Turkeys, 8–20 Weeks of Age

Abstract

THE calcium and phosphorus requirements of starting turkeys (0–8 weeks of age) have been studied by several investigators. (Mussehl and Ackerson, 1935; Hammond et al., 1944; Fritz et al., 1945; Evans and Brant, 1945; Singsen et al., 1947; Fritz et al., 1947; Motzok and Slinger, 1948; Slinger et al., 1954; Lindblad et al., 1954; and Wilcox et al., 1954). From the results of these studies the calcium and phosphorus requirements of starting turkeys have apparently been derived. The National Research Council (1954) listed the calcium requirement of starting and growing turkeys as 2.0 percent of the diet. Similarly, the phosphorus requirement was listed as 1.0 percent of the diet; it was recommended that 0.5 percent of the diet be inorganic phosphorus. There is some question as to how well these figures approximate the actual calcium and phosphorus requirements of turkeys during late growth. These figures probably overestimate requirements of …