Tibia Ash Percentage Research Articles

Correlation of Biological Value of Feed Phosphates with Their Solubility in Water, Dilute Hydrogen Chloride, Dilute Citric Acid, and Neutral Ammonium Citrate

Relative biological values (BV) of 36 feed phosphates were determined with female turkeys in bioassays of 21-day duration using three response criteria: weight gain, tibia ash percentage, and gain:feed ratio. Calcium phosphate, dibasic dihydrate (United States Pharmacopeia) was the reference standard. Nine mono-dicalcium phosphates (M-DCP, 21.0% phosphorus), 13 di-monocalcium phosphates (D-MCP, 18.5% phosphorus), and 14 defluorinated phosphates (DFP, 18.0% phosphorus) were evaluated. The average relative BV for M-DCP, D-MCP, and DFP samples were 97.6, 94.6, and 90.8%, respectively. Solubility of phosphates was determined by four recognized methods. The solvents were water, .4% HCl, 2.0% citric acid (CA), and neutral ammonium citrate (NAC). Water solubility of M-DCP samples was greater (67.5%) than that of D-MCP (38.8%) and DFP (8.9%) samples. Correlation of water solubility of phosphates to their relative BV was quite low, and water solubility was a poor indicator of BV. When .4% HCl was the solvent, correlation coefficients (r) were .55, .33, and .72 for M-DCP, D-MCP, and DFP, respectively. Based on these results and prediction equations, .4% HCl solubility would be inappropriate for estimating BV of M-DCP and D-MCP samples. Solubility of feed phosphates (mainly D-MCP and DFP) in 2.0% CA or NAC was positively correlated with BV; the r values were .87 to .95. Both of these solubility tests provided a good index of BV. However, it would seem inappropriate and risky to replace bioassays totally with these tests. Feed phosphate users could perform either the 2.0% CA or NAC solubility test easily as a screen for BV along with other quality control procedures (i.e., phosphorus, calcium, sodium, and fluoride determinations).

Influence of Age, Sex, and Method of Rearing on Tibia Length and Mineral Deposition in Broilers

Two experiments were conducted to determine linear growth and mineral deposition in the tibiae of Vantress × Arbor Acres broilers. In Experiment 1, birds were maintained in battery brooders for 21 days then housed in floor pens from Day 22 to 70. In the second experiment, birds were reared either in battery brooders and grow-out cages or floor pens from Day 1 to 63. Males and females were maintained separately. Birds in both trials were weighed at weekly intervals and three birds of each sex per treatment were euthanatized weekly to obtain tibia samples. Tibiae were cleaned of muscle and connective tissues, dried, extracted with diethyl ether, measured for length in centimeters, weighed, and ashed.Results from both experiments show a curvilinear response for weight gain, bone length, and bone ash weight. In some cases, sex by week or week by rearing interactions (P<.001) were observed. As expected, males had greater weight gain and bone length than females. In Experiment 2, birds grown in floor pens had greater (P<.05) bone length, tibia weight, and tibia ash weight than cage-reared birds, but percentage tibia ash was not different between the two rearing systems. Tibia growth and mineral deposition were influenced by gender and rearing systems. Bone ash weight data for females in both trials had a response curve that approached a sigmoidal shape. Response curves for males tended to be more quadratic, indicating a significant (P<.003) week by week by sex interaction. Thus, there was evidence for bone growth differences not only between rearing systems, but also between sexes, the latter not unexpected.

Effect of Dietary Aluminum Sulfate on Calcium and Phosphorus Metabolism of Broiler Chicks

The effect of dietary aluminum sulfate on Ca and P metabolism was studied using 1-day-oldmale broiler chicks. In Experiment 1, practical diets providing .90% Ca plus .45% available P (Pav), .90% Ca plus .78% Pav, 1.80% Ca plus .45% Pav, or 1.80% Ca plus .90% Pav were fed with 0 or .392% Al as aluminum sulfate for 21 days. The control diet (.90% Caplus .45% Pav) without added A1 was fed to all chicks during Days 22 to 49. In general, Al significantly (P<.05) decreased BW gain, feed intake, gain:feed ratio, plasma inorganic P (Pi), tibia breaking strength, tibia weight, percentage of tibia ash, and plasma Zn, measured at Day 21. Elevating Pav increased BW gain, feed intake, gain:feed ratio, tibia weight and plasma Zn, and decreased plasma total Ca in the presence of .392% Al plus 1.80% Ca. Plasma Pi, tibia breaking strength, and percentage of tibia ash were increased by raising dietary Pav in the presence of .392% Al with either level of Ca. Negative effects of dietary Al on feed intake and BW persisted through Day 49.In Experiment 2, a control diet (.90% Ca, .45% Pav) was fed for ad libitum access either alone or supplemented with .2% Al as aluminum sulfate or with an equivalent amount of sulfate provided by potassium sulfate. The control diet was also pair-fed to chicks given .2% Al. Dietary Al significantly depressed weight gain, feed intake, gain:feed ratio, and plasma Pi. No effects were noted due to adding potassium sulfate to the diet. Pair-feeding the control diet decreased weight gain, feed intake, and tibia weight, but not plasma Pi. These results indicate that the toxic effect of aluminum sulfate is due to the aluminum and not the sulfate ions. The influence of aluminum on growth is mainly due to depressed feed intake, while the altered Ca and P metabolism results from a direct effect of Al per se.

Phosphorus utilization in chicks fed hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of hydrated Na Ca aluminosilicate (HSCAS) on P utilization of young broiler chicks. Phosphorus-deficient corn-soybean meal diets containing .36% (.134% available) P and 1% Ca were fortified with 0, .05 and .10% P provided as KH2PO4 (22.8% P) or feed-grade dicalcium phosphate (18.9% P). Diets were available ad libitum to chicks receiving 0, .50 or 1.0% HSCAS during the period 8 to 22 d posthatching. Weight of tibia ash, percentage of tibia ash and bone-breaking force were regressed on supplemental P intake to assess P utilization in the absence or presence of HSCAS. Tibia parameters (ash weight, percentage of ash and bone-breaking force) responded linearly (P less than .01) to P supplementation. Regardless of P source (KH2PO4 or dicalcium phosphate), .5% or 1.0% HSCAS had no effect (P greater than .1) on P utilization. With no supplemental P, tibia parameters also were not affected (P greater than .05) by HSCAS. Phosphorus utilization from dicalcium phosphate was estimated to be 87% as efficient as that observed for KH2PO4. The results suggest that dietary HSCAS does not impair utilization of either phytate or inorganic P.

Effects of graded levels of dietary phosphorus on bone mineralization in the very young poult.

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of graded levels of dicalcium phosphate on bone mineralization in 1 and 3-week-old poults. Corn-soybean meal diets calculated to contain 1.5% calcium and either .35, .55, .75, .95, or 1.15% available phosphorus were fed to battery brooder reared poults for 3 weeks. Body weights and percent tibia ash were determined at 1 and 3 weeks. Body weight was not significantly affected by dietary phosphorus at either 1 or 3 weeks of age. Percent tibia ash was significantly greater in 1-week-old poults receiving a minimum of .75% available phosphorus. In 3-week-old poults, maximum tibia ash was obtained with with a minimum of .55 available phosphorus. This study suggests the level of dietary phosphorus necessary to achieve maximum tibia ash in 3-week-old poults is not sufficient for maximum tibia ash in 1-week-old poults.

Effects of Supplementary Vitamin D3 on Egg Production of Two Strains of Japanese Quail and Growth of Their Progeny

Two strains (University of Saskatchewan, white egg and wild type) of mature Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica), following a 4-week depletion period, were fed one of four diets varying in supplementary vitamin D3: a) no supplementary vitamin D3, b) National Research Council (NRC, 1977) recommended level of 1,200 IU vitamin D3/kg feed, c) 10 times, NRC levels, and d) 100 times NRC levels for 4 weeks. Egg production, egg weight, number of soft-shelled eggs, body weight, and feed consumption were not affected by vitamin D3 treatment. Hatchability of the white egg strain was not affected by vitamin D3 treatment. Hatchability in the wild type strain was reduced in those birds consuming diets unsupplemented with vitamin D3 although not significantly. Tibia ash was not affected by vitamin D3 treatment.Progeny from hens receiving no supplemental vitamin D3 were smaller throughout a 5-week growth period; however, feed consumption and percentage tibia ash content were similar to those of progeny from the other treatments. Progeny fed 480 IU vitamin D3/kg feed were larger, had higher tibia ash, and similar feed consumption compared with those fed a diet with no added vitamin D3.

Dietary Levels of Fat, Calcium, and Vitamins A and D3 as Contributory Factors to Rickets in Poults

Two experiments were conducted on dietary predisposition to rickets in poults.The first experiment compared fat type (corn oil or tallow), level of added fat (3.5 or 7%), vitamin D3 (900 or 2,400 IU/kg feed), and total calcium (.6, 1.2, or 3%) inclusion in the diet. Poults fed diets supplemented with corn oil had higher percentage tibia ash than poults fed tallow-supplemented diets. Vitamin D3 included at 2,400 IU/kg feed increased body weights significantly by 2 and 4 weeks of age and lowered plasma alkaline phosphatase (AP) at 2 and 4 weeks compared with diets containing 900 IU/kg feed. Tibia ash was significantly greater with the higher vitamin D3 supplementation at 2 weeks. At 2 weeks of age both low (.6%) and high (3%) levels of dietary calcium increased plasma AP, decreased tibia ash, and decreased body weight compared with diets containing 1.2% calcium. By 4 weeks of age, diets containing 1.2 and 3% calcium had no significant effects on body weight and plasma AP; however, tibia ash was significantly greater with these levels than with the .6% calcium diets.The second experiment compared level of dietary tallow inclusion (2.5 or 7%) and supplementary vitamin A (4,000, 16,000, or 44,000 IU/kg feed). The high tallow diets decreased tibia ash at 3 weeks, and the maximum supplementation of vitamin A significantly depressed body weight. Clinical rickets were first noted at 18 days of age. By 26 days of age the higher level of dietary fat and the highest level of vitamin A caused a significant increase in severity of rickets.The results suggested that rickets can be induced by high dietary levels of tallow and vitamin A.

The Response of Bobwhite Quail Chicks to Dietary Ammonium and an Antibiotic-Vitamin Supplement When Fed B1 Aflatoxin

Dietary ammonium phosphate and a water soluble antibiotic-vitamin supplement were tested as possible means of preventing or minimizing the effects of aflatoxin in the diet of Bobwhite quail chicks. Aflatoxin (B1) was added to the diet at levels of 0, 0.4 and .8 ppm in Experiment 1 and 0, .8 and 1.2 ppm in Experiment 2. In addition, ammonium phosphate was included in the diet at levels of 0 or 1.46% and an antibiotic-vitamin supplement was added to the drinking water at 0 or 600 mg/liter. All treatments were given from 1 to 32 days of age in Experiment 1 and 1 to 28 days of age in Experiment 2.The addition of aflatoxin to the diet resulted in decreased body weight, feed consumption and percent tibia ash, increased mortality and increased feed required per unit of body weight. The addition of ammonia to the diet in the form of monoammonium phosphate did not alleviate the effects of aflatoxin. Water supplementation with an antibiotic-vitamin mixture improved weight and feed efficiency and decreased mortality of chicks receiving aflatoxin.

Evaluation of Phosphated Egg Shell and Fertilizer Phosphates in Turkey Starter Diets

Three experiments of 28 days duration were conducted to evaluate phosphated egg shell and fertilizer phosphates as supplemental phosphorus sources. Large White, female poults of the Nicholas strain were used in all studies. The birds were fed a corn-soybean meal basal diet containing 28 percent protein. Phosphorus sources and calcium carbonate were added to furnish the desired levels of Ca and P. Dietary treatments and tap water were given ad libitum and birds were raised in battery brooders with raised wire floors.Bioavailability of phosphorus from two fertilizer phosphates, concentrated super phosphate (CSP) and diammonium phosphate (DAP), was high. Relative biological values for CSP and DAP were 95 and 96 percent, respectively, as compared to 100 percent for mono-sodium phosphate (NaH2PO4 · H2O), the reference standard. The relative biological value of phosphated egg shell was 99.5 and 100.1 percent in two separate experiments. CSP and DAP contained 2.35 to 2.48 percent of fluorine and were somewhat toxic, depressing body weight gain and feed efficiency when fed to supply recommended or higher than recommended levels of supplemental phosphorus. Depressions in body weight gain and feed efficiency were observed in two experiments.High fluorine levels from CSP and DAP apparently did not affect tibia breaking strength and percent tibia ash in these short term experiments. Fluorine content of tibia ash was significantly (P < 0.05) increased with CSP and DAP treatments.

Effect of Particle Size on the Utilization of Calcium Supplements by the Chick

Four experiments were conducted using a total of 1480 broiler strain cockerels to determine the effect of particle size and source of calcium on chick weight and tibia ash. The particle sizes of the test calcium sources obtained from oyster shell and limestone were defined as 6–8, 16–20, 40–50, 100–140, and 270–Pan on a passed-retained basis using the U.S.B.S. sieve series. Non-screened samples of oyster shell, limestone and a mined marine source were also tested.No consistent differences in growth rate and percent tibia ash were observed between oyster shell and limestone when the particle size of these supplements was equal. Increased weight gains were obtained with the medium and fine particle sizes (U.S.B.S. 16–Pan) as compared to the larger sizes (U.S.B.S. 6–8). Tibia ash was significantly increased when the particle size of the calcium supplement was medium (U.S.B.S. 40–50) as compared to the ash values obtained by feeding either the smallest (U.S.B.S. 270–Pan) or largest (U.S.B.S. 6–8) particle sizes.Screen analyses of commercial limestone, oyster shell and the mined marine calcium source revealed that the commercial oyster shell was a larger sized material than either limestone or the mined marine source tested in this study. Increased tibia ash was obtained by feeding the commercial oyster shell product which verifies the need for a medium particle size (16–50) in the chick’s diet.These data indicate calcium utilization by the chick is dependent upon the particle size of the calcium supplement. It appears desirable to use a medium to fine (U.S.B.S. 16–Pan) particle size calcium supplement in chick diets when considering both chick weight and percent tibia ash.

Effect of Calcium and Phosphorus Levels on the Performance of Layers in Nigeria: 2. Bone ash and Calcium and Phosphorus Retention

The effect of four levels of dietary calcium and two levels of dietary phosphorus, fed to Harco layers in battery cages and on deep litter for a period of 48 weeks on tibia ash, percent calcium of tibia ash and the retention of calcium and phosphorus was investigated. Both percent tibia ash and percent calcium content of tibia ash increased significantly (P<0.05 as the calcium content in the diet was increased from 2.00 to 4.25%. Birds housed on deep litter had significantly (P<0.01) higher tibia calcium than those housed in battery cages. Tibia ash and calcium content increased rapidly in the first eight weeks in production and thereafter remained fairly steady. Percent calcium retention decreased while absolute calcium retention increased with increasing level of dietary calcium. High dietary calcium level (4.25%) was accompanied by low percent and absolute phosphorus retention.

Ascorbic Acid as Related to Tibia Strength in Spent Hens

Three studies involving 450 spent S.C.W.L. individually caged hens were conducted during the winter months. It was found that feeding six different levels of ascorbic acid at different time intervals from three days to four weeks had no significant effect on tibia breaking strength, serum calcium, egg production or percent tibia ash. There was a trend for a numerical decrease in tibia breaking strength when hens fed ascorbic acid were compared to controls. A statistical difference was noted between strains when tibia strengths were compared.

Safety and Toxicity of Oietary Organic Arsenicals Relative to Performance of Young Turkeys: 3. Nitarsone

Two experiments were conducted with Large White turkeys from day-old to 28 days of age. Nitarsone (4-nitrophenylarsonic acid) levels from 0.01 to 0.08 percent were fed in a ground yellow corn-soybean meal, basal diet containing 28% protein. Body weight of individual birds and the feed consumption of each experimental group were recorded at the end of 14 and 28 days. Birds were closely observed daily for toxicity symptoms and mortality. Percent tibia ash was determined at 28 days in the first experiment.The maximum safe dietary level of nitarsone relative to performance of young turkeys to 28 days of age was 0.02 percent in both experiments. Body weight gain to 28 days was significantly decreased (P <0.01) in poults fed 0.03 percent of the drug. Mortality was 11.1, 55.6, 54.2 and 100%, respectively, among poults fed 0.04, 0.05, 0.06 and 0.08 percent of nitarsone. Therefore, the dietary drug level necessary to cause 50 percent mortality in turkeys to 28 days (L.D. 50/28) was about 0.05 percent. Symptoms of nitarsone toxicity appeared during the second week and included: leg weakness, a tendency to sit, head tremors with eyes closed, some paralysis and loss of appetite. Percent tibia ash was significantly (P <0.05) increased when nitarsone (0.02, 0.04, or 0.06 percent) was present in the diet.

Safety and Toxicity of Dietary Organic Arsenicals Relative to Performance of Young Turkeys: 4. Roxarsone

Two experiments were conducted with Large White turkeys from day-old to 28 days of age. Roxarsone (3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid) levels from 0.0025 to 0.04 percent were fed in a ground yellow corn-soybean meal, basal diet containing 28% protein. Body weight of individual birds and the feed consumption of each experimental group were recorded at the end of 14 and 28 days. Birds were closely observed daily for toxicity symptoms and mortality. Poults were sacrificed at 28 days of age for tibia ash determinations in the first experiment.The maximum safe dietary level of roxarsone relative to performance of young turkeys to 28 days of age was greater than 0.005 and less than 0.01 percent. Body weight gain to 28 days of age was significantly (P <0.05) decreased in poults fed 0.01 percent of drug in both experiments. Poults receiving lower levels of drug (0.0025 and 0.005%) in the second experiment showed slightly increased gains relative to control birds. Mortality was 41.7 and 77.8 percent, respectively, in poults receiving 0.03 percent of drug in experiments one and two. Therefore, the dietary roxarsone level necessary to cause 50 percent mortality in turkeys to 28 days of age (L.D. 50/28) was about 0.03 percent or slightly less. Symptoms of roxarsone toxicity appeared during the second week and included: leg weakness, a tendency to sit, head tremors with eyes closed, some paralysis and loss of appetite. Percent tibia ash was slightly increased when roxarsone (0.01, 0.02 and 0.03%) was present in the diet.

Effect of Chelating Agents and High Levels of Calcium and Phosphorus on Bone Calcification in Chicks Fed Isolated Soy Protein

In an attempt to gain a better understanding of the rachitogenic activity of isolated soybean protein, experiments were conducted to determine relative tibia uptake of intramuscular doses of 45Ca and 32P in chicks fed isolated soybean protein or diets previously shown to improve bone calcification and to determine the effect of various chelating agents and high levels of calcium or phosphorus, or both, on bone calcification in chicks fed the rachitogenic diet (40% isolated soybean protein). All diets contained levels of phosphorus, calcium and vitamin D3 higher than those recommended by the National Research Council for chicks. Tibia uptake of intramuscularly injected 45Ca and 32P generally was higher in chicks fed diets that improved bone calcification. None of the chelating agents (varying in stability constants for calcium from 1.6 to 10.6) improved bone calcification or growth rate. Two agents with calcium stability constants of 4.8 and 6.4 significantly depressed growth and percentage tibia ash. Adding calcium or phosphorus alone failed to improve bone calcification but a combination resulted in a significant improvement. However, tibia ash of chicks fed levels of 2.68% calcium and 1.45% phosphorus was still significantly less than that of chicks fed a diet with caseingelatin substituted for isolated soybean protein.