Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the effect of Citric Acid (AC) and Phytase on productive behavior of laying hens, phosphorous (P) and nitrogen (N) content in excreta, as well as P and calcium (Ca) content in whole egg and eggshell. This experiment was carried out on 80 week old hens after molting, and fed on a sorghum and soy paste diet (2.7 Mcal EM kg-1, 13 % PC, 4 % Ca and 0.4 % available P). Phytase was added as an ingredient, contributing 0.1 % of P and 0.3 % of Ca. AC levels were 0 %, 0.6 % and 2 %, while those for phytase were 0 and 600 units (UF). A completely randomized experimental design with a factorial 3 x 2 array and 5 replications of four hens per treatment was used. Results showed that a combination of 600 UF and 2 % AC increased egg weight and reduced P content in excreta by more than 50 %. N in excreta decreased when AC was added (P smaller than 0.01). The use of phytase increased Ca content in yolk and albumin while decreasing that of shell (P smaller than 0.05). AC increased Ca in shell (P=0.01). When AC and phytase were added to diets provided to hens at the end of the laying cycle, egg weightincreased and N and P excretion decreased.
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