Effects of graded levels of phytase supplementation on growth performance, plasma myo-inositol, tibia mineralization and nutrient digestibility of meat ducks fed phosphorus-deficient diets

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to explore the effect of reduction in dietary non-phytate phosphorus (nPP) and supplementation of an exogenous phytase on growth performance, plasma myo-inositol, tibia mineralization and nutrient digestibility of meat ducks. Exp. 1 used 450 one-day-old male Cherry Valley ducks over a 42-d period to evaluate growth performance and plasma myo-inositol. The treatments (6 replicates with 15 ducks per pen) included a positive control diet (PC, 4.0 and 9.0 or 3.5 and 8.0 g/kg of nPP and Ca in starter (d 0–21) and grower (d 21–42) period, respectively), a negative control diet (NC, 1.7 g/kg nPP and 1.9 g/kg Ca less from the PC), and the NC diet plus phytase at 1000, 2000 or 3000 FYT/kg feed. Exp. 2 used 600, seven-day-old, male Cherry Valley ducks in a 14-d trial to evaluate growth performance, tibia mineralization and nutrient digestibility. Dietary treatments (10 replicate cages with 10 ducks per cage) included a PC diet (4.0 and 9.0 g/kg of nPP and Ca, respectively), a NC diet (1.5 and 6.5 g/kg of nPP and Ca, respectively), and the NC diet plus phytase at 500, 1000, 2000 or 3000 FYT/kg feed. In Exp. 1, ducks fed the NC diet had lower (P < 0.05) weight gain (d 0–21 and 0–42), feed intake (d 0–21, 21–42 and 0–42) and body weight at d 21 and 42 compared to those fed the PC diet. There was no effect of diet (P > 0.05) on FCR or plasma myo-inositol. Phytase supplementation linearly increased (P < 0.05) weight gain, feed intake, and body weight; all parameters were equivalent to the PC at 2000 or 3000 FYT/kg. In Exp. 2, ducks fed the NC diet had lower (P < 0.05) weight gain, feed intake, body weight, tibia ash weight and percentage, and P digestibility and higher (P < 0.05) FCR and Ca digestibility compared to those fed the PC diet. Phytase supplementation improved growth measurements (linear and quadratic, P < 0.05), tibia ash weight and percentage (linear, P < 0.05) and P digestibility (linear, P < 0.05). Growth measurements and P digestibility were comparable to the PC level with supplemented phytase ranging from 1000 to 2000 FYT/kg, however, tibia ash weight and percent were below the PC, regardless of the dose of phytase. In conclusion, feeding graded concentrations of phytase improved growth performance, tibia mineralization, and P digestibility in ducks. Phytase supplementation at 2000 FYT/kg could fully restore the gain and P digestibility of ducks fed nPP deficient diets to that of a nutrient adequate PC. However, in extremely nPP deficient diets, tibia ash weight and percentage require a higher supplementation of phytase, which was beyond 3000 FYT/kg.