Effect of Sodium Aluminosilicate on Phosphorus Utilization by Chicks and Laying Hens

Abstract

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of sodium aluminosilicate (SAS) on performance of chicks and laying hens fed diets varying in nonphytate P (NPP), phytate, and fiber content. In two chick growth experiments a corn and soybean meal diet and a phytate and fiber-free casein-dextrose diet were used. These diets contained .1% NPP and 1.1% Ca and were fortified with 0, .05, or .10% P from KH2 PO4 and 0 or .5% SAS. A 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was used. Sodium aluminosilicate supplementation significantly (P<.05) depressed growth of chicks fed the corn and soybean meal diets containing 0 or .05% supplemental AP. Sodium aluminosilicate addition decreased (P<.05) tibia ash and total tibia P (tibia weight × P concentration) in both chick experiments, with the effect being greater for chicks fed the corn and soybean meal diet.In the laying hen experiment, birds were fed corn and soybean meal diets containing NPP levels of. 1, .45, or 1.8% and SAS levels of 0 or 1.0%. Egg production and egg yield were depressed (P<.05) by feeding diets containing .1 or 1.8% NPP, and egg specific gravity was decreased (P<.05) by feeding 1.8% NPP. Addition of SAS to the .1% NPP diet caused a large reduction (P<.05) in egg production, egg weight, and feed efficiency, whereas SAS supplementation of the 1.8% NPP diet had no significant effect. Sodium aluminosilicate supplementation increased (P<.05) egg specific gravity for hens fed the. 1 and 1.8% NPP diets. The results of the present study indicate that SAS markedly affects P utilization by poultry, and that this effect may be influenced by diet composition. The beneficial effect of SAS on eggshell quality was not influenced by dietary P level.