Dicalcium Phosphate and Phosphoric Acid as Phosphorus Sources for Beef Cattle

Abstract

Twelve one year old grade Hereford steers weighing approximately 500 lb. each, were used to compare, as phosphorus sources, reagent grade phosphoric acid and dicalcium phosphate. Both phosphorus supplements furnished 60.2% of the phosphorus in rations supplying 2.0 gm. of phosphorus per 100 lb. of liveweight; 39.8% of the phosphorus being supplied by ration ingredients. Criteria were apparent digestibility, net retention, fecal endogenous excretion and true digestibility of phosphorus supplied by the supplements. Treatment differences in all criteria were small and statistically insignificant, indicating the availability of phosphorus supplied by phosphoric acid to be in the same order of magnitude as that supplied by dicalcium phosphate.