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. 2025 Jul 17;15(14):2111.
doi: 10.3390/ani15142111.

The Role of Phosphorus Sources and Phytase in Growth Performance and Feed Digestibility in Broilers

Edouard Coudert  1 , Nereida L Corrales  2 , Amélie Juanchich  1 , Margot Poujol  3 , Benjamin Ribeiro  3 , Tristan Chalvon-Demersay  1 , Guillermo Fondevila  4
Affiliations

The Role of Phosphorus Sources and Phytase in Growth Performance and Feed Digestibility in Broilers

Edouard Coudert et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) is an essential mineral in poultry nutrition, but its low bioavailability from conventional feed ingredients presents a significant challenge for efficient utilization. This study investigated the effects of different P sources (monocalcium phosphate (MCP) and calcium humophosphate (CHP)) and three phytase concentrations (0, 1000, or 2000 FTU/kg of feed) on broiler performance and ileal nutrient digestibility. A total of 600 Cobb 500 male broilers were fed one of six different dietary treatments with 10 replicates per treatment from 11 to 21 d of age. The birds and feed were weighed at 1, 10, and 21 d of age to determine growth performance. At 21 d of age, ileal digesta was collected from all the birds to determine dry matter, organic matter, Ca, P, and ash digestibility. The results indicated that phytase supplementation at 1000 and 2000 FTU/kg improved the feed conversion ratio and P digestibility compared with the non-supplemented group. The broilers fed CHP showed superior P digestibility compared to those fed MCP, regardless of phytase concentration. The results also indicated interactive effects between P source and phytase concentration on the digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and ash. The findings suggest that CHP enhances nutrient digestibility and could optimize P utilization in broiler diets with phytase inclusion. This report reveals a better understanding of the effects of P sources and phytase concentration on feed digestibility. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and support improvements in broiler performance under commercial production conditions.

Keywords: broiler; digestibility; nutrition optimization; phosphate; phytase.

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Conflict of interest statement

Edouard Coudert, Amélie Juanchich and Tristan Chalvon-Demersay were employed by the Centre Mondial de l’Innovation Roullier. Margot Poujol and Benjamin Ribeiro were employed by Phosphea. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as potential conflicts of interest.

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