Publish Time: 2019-07-19 Origin: Site
Phosphorus is one of the essential mineral elements for broilers , second only to carbohydrates and protein. Throughout the broiler's growth cycle, it plays a vital role in bone health, energy metabolism, and cellular life activities. Broilers have a high demand for available phosphorus, but most phosphorus in common feed ingredients is primarily phytic acid phosphorus, which cannot be effectively absorbed and utilized. Therefore, it is necessary to add phosphorus supplements to their daily feed to supplement their nutrition.
Phosphorus is an essential element for bones, working synergistically with calcium to strengthen bones and reduce problems such as leg disease, lameness, tibia cartilage dysplasia, and rickets that broilers encounter during their growth.
Phosphorus is involved in muscle contraction and substance transport. A lack of phosphorus in feed will reduce the appetite of broilers, thereby reducing daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio, which is not conducive to the growth of breeding efficiency.
1.3 Life Activities
Phosphorus is essential for cells and genetic material; it is present in cell membrane phospholipids, DNA, and RHA. Phosphorus also participates in the body's acid-base balance buffering system.
When there is insufficient phosphorus in the feed that can be absorbed by broilers, the daily weight gain of broilers generally decreases, the mortality rate increases, and their weight will also decrease after slaughter, affecting the production efficiency of the farm.
Key point: High total phosphorus ≠ high available phosphorus. Feed ingredients such as corn and soybean meal contain 60-70% phytic acid phosphorus, which broilers cannot absorb. It is also excreted in feces, impacting the environment.
All phosphorus contained in feed is called total phosphorus. Based on the components added to feed, there are three types: phytate phosphorus , phosphorus from phosphates, and animal-derived phosphorus.
As shown in the table below: The raw materials, such as corn, soybean meal, wheat, and rapeseed meal, contain a high proportion of phytic acid phosphorus, but have a low total phosphorus content, resulting in low phosphorus utilization efficiency for broilers.
| Raw Material | Total Phosphorus % | Phytic Acid Phosphorus as A Percentage of Total Phosphorus | Utilization of Broiler Chickens |
| corn | 0.25 | 70-75% | Low |
| soybean meal | 0.6 | 60-65% | medium |
| wheat | 0.3 | 70% | Low |
| rapeseed meal, cottonseed meal | 0.9–1.1 | 75% | Very low |
With the maturity of modern industrial technology, industrially produced phosphates can be widely used as feed additives. Common feed additive phosphorus includes: MCP, DCP, MDCP, TCP, and PDCP.
| Phosphorus Source | Common Names | Typical Values of Total Phosphorus (P) | Typical Values of Calcium (Ca) | Relative Utilization Rate of Broilers* | Characteristics of Broiler Feed Additives |
| MCP | Monocalcium Phosphate | 21%–23% | 14%–18% | High, approximately 95%–100% | High in phosphorus and low in calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, with good water solubility and digestibility; suitable for broiler chickens in the rapid growth stage and diets with high available phosphorus requirements |
| DCP | Dicalcium Phosphate | 17%–19% | 21%–24% | High, approximately 90%–95% | It supplements calcium and phosphorus simultaneously, has a mature product, and relatively low cost; it is suitable for conventional broiler complete feed, but its phosphorus utilization rate is usually lower than that of MCP |
| MDCP | Monodicalcium Phosphate | 20%–22% | 15%–18% | High, approximately 92%–98% | It combines the characteristics of both MCP and DCP, achieving a balance between phosphorus concentration, calcium supply, and cost; it is a commonly used phosphorus source in broiler feed |
| TCP | Tricalcium phosphate | 18%–19% | 34%–38% | Relatively low, approximately 70%–85% | It has a high calcium content, moderate phosphorus content, and low water solubility; it is highly effective at supplementing calcium, but broilers typically do not utilize its phosphorus as efficiently as...MCP,MDCP |
| PDCP | Precipitated Dicalcium Phosphate | Approximately 17%–19% | 21%–24% | High, approximately 90%–95% | It primarily provides calcium and phosphorus, suitable for conventional animal feed; however, its specific utilization rate is highly dependent on the production process and the purity of the raw materials |
The table above clearly shows that different phosphorus sources have varying utilization rates in broilers. For the first seven or eight years, dicalcium phosphate (DCP) was a common feed phosphorus source. However, due to its massive usage, its price continued to rise.
Therefore, there is a need to develop phosphorus sources that require low dosage, have high bioavailability, and are relatively inexpensive. Recent technological advancements and numerous international studies have shown that MCP and MDCP have better absorption rates. These two feed additives are frequently added to animal feed.
Plant-derived dicalcium phosphate (PDCP) is a feed-grade dicalcium phosphate produced during the industrial production of inositol through processes such as acid hydrolysis, quicklime neutralization, and inositol residue precipitation. PDCP primarily provides calcium and phosphorus and is suitable for conventional animal feed; its specific utilization rate is highly dependent on the production process and the purity of the raw materials .
TCP has high calcium content, moderate phosphorus content, and low water solubility; it has a strong calcium supplementation ability, but broilers usually do not utilize its phosphorus as well as MCP and MDCP, so it is recommended to use it sparingly in broilers.
When Polifar provides feed additives to some users, some customers have asked if we offer fishmeal. Fishmeal and meat and bone meal are easily and quickly absorbed by broilers when added to feed. However, due to issues such as cost and bacteria, their use in modern broiler formulations has gradually decreased.
Note: When choosing feed for broilers, remember to check the feed formulation. Pay attention to non-phytic acid phosphorus, i.e., available phosphorus . When selecting DCP wholesalers in the market, remember to carefully select reputable suppliers. Merchants with incomplete qualifications may sell inferior products; dicalcium phosphate may have excessive fluoride levels. Feed-grade phosphates require a fluoride content ≤0.18%; high fluoride levels can inhibit bone development and cause leg weakness in cases of poisoning.
Broilers are monogastric animals and lack phytase, making them unable to directly and efficiently utilize it. Adding phytase to their feed allows it to effectively break down phytic phosphorus, converting poorly absorbed and ineffective phytic phosphorus into absorbable phosphorus. Currently, over 95% of broiler feed contains phytase.
Adding phytase can reduce the need for inorganic phosphates, thus lowering production costs and reducing nitrogen and phosphorus pollution from manure emissions. However, phytase is a "synergist," and industrial phosphates cannot be completely eliminated from broiler feed.
However, there's a key point to note about phytase: ordinary phytase cannot withstand high temperatures. When the temperature exceeds 85℃, the phytase will become inactive. In this case, broilers fed with this feed will develop phosphorus deficiency leg disease . The solution to this problem is to use heat-resistant phytase. Polifar provides heat-resistant phytase long-term.
Significant breakthroughs have been made in phytase research, with a novel bacterial 6-phytase variant (PhyG) capable of completely replacing added inorganic phosphates at all stages of broiler growth. High doses of phytase (3000 FTU/kg) can improve broiler production performance, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal physiological and immune-related indicators.
A suitable calcium-to-phosphorus ratio is more conducive to the absorption and utilization of phosphorus in broilers. However, as the calcium level in the feed gradually increases, the utilization rate of phosphorus by broilers will decrease. Furthermore, calcium inhibits the activity of phytase in the intestine, affecting the availability of phytate phosphorus. Polifar recommends maintaining a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of 1.2–1.4:1 in broiler diets .
Vitamin D₃ to feed promotes calcium and phosphorus absorption and enhances the effect of phytate phosphorus . Vitamin D₃ creates an acidic environment in the poultry gut, making calcium and phosphorus salts easier to dissolve and absorb, and promoting calcium and phosphorus deposition in bones. Adding phytase and vitamin D3 to feed simultaneously can reduce the total phosphorus content to 0.45%.
The higher the amount of carbohydrates in feed that meet an animal's daily needs, the lower its phosphorus requirements will be.
As discussed above, different types of phosphorus have varying absorption and utilization efficiencies for broilers. When the calcium content in the feed varies, the phosphorus ratio in the formula needs to be adjusted promptly to facilitate more efficient absorption and utilization by the broilers.
The gut health of broilers is also very important. Once infected with coccidia or has enteritis, it will affect the absorption of calcium and phosphorus. Therefore, when raising broilers, it may be necessary to supplement them with some anticoccidia drugs or antidiarrheal drugs in a timely manner at different growth stages. Polifar can also provide these to broiler customers worldwide.
Phosphorus is crucial for the growth cycle of broilers, but it's essential to maintain an appropriate absorption rate. Both excessively high and low levels are detrimental to broiler growth. High phosphorus levels can interfere with the absorption of calcium, zinc, and manganese , inducing secondary skeletal abnormalities and causing problems such as osteomalacia and rickets .
Excessive phosphorus content can also increase the burden on the kidneys of broilers, accelerate the deposition of urate , and increase the risk of visceral gout .
Phosphate rock is a non-renewable resource, and most feed additives on the market are extracted from it. When broilers do not absorb and utilize phosphorus as expected, their excrement pollutes the soil and causes eutrophication of water bodies, which is also a waste of phosphorus resources.
Polifar recommends that broiler feed manufacturers add heat-resistant phytase, MDCP, and other high-efficiency phosphorus to their feed, and make efficient use of calcium and phosphorus according to the formulator's advice, so as to reduce pollution in broiler excrement.
Advances in modern technology have driven the development of feed additives towards increasingly refined operations. Looking beyond total phosphorus content to non-phytate phosphorus (NPP, available phosphorus), the future trend will be towards standardized available phosphorus.
Dynamic adjustments at different growth stages: With increasingly detailed divisions of feeding stages , establishing dynamic phosphorus requirements for broilers and flexibly adjusting their needs helps broilers reach market weight faster and better, thus improving farming efficiency.
At the level of professional molecular biology techniques , we study genes related to phosphorus metabolism to see if they can be used as specific functional indicators for evaluating phosphorus requirements .
The breeds of broiler chickens differ between China and other countries. Foreign countries primarily use white-feathered broilers, while China mainly uses yellow-feathered broilers . These two breeds have significantly different nutritional requirements. Further research is needed to determine the specifics.
Q1: Which foods are rich in phosphorus?
A1: Meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, dairy products, nuts, beans, and whole grains are all rich in phosphorus. Phosphorus from animal-based foods is generally more easily absorbed by the body.
Q2: Is phosphorus a metal?
A2: No. Phosphorus (P) is a non-metallic element, belonging to group 15 of the periodic table.
Q3: Are phosphates and phosphorus the same substance?
A3: No. Phosphorus is an element, while phosphates are compounds containing phosphorus, such as calcium phosphate and sodium phosphate. Simply put: phosphorus is an element, and phosphates are phosphorus-containing compounds.
Q4. What is the phosphorus cycle?
A4: The phosphorus cycle refers to the continuous transfer and recycling of phosphorus among soil, water, plants, animals, and microorganisms. Plants absorb phosphorus from the soil, animals obtain phosphorus through food, and animal and plant excrement and remains return phosphorus to the environment.
Q5: Do eggs contain phosphorus?
A5: Yes. Eggs are a good source of phosphorus, especially the yolk. Phosphorus is involved in bone and teeth formation, energy metabolism, and normal cell function.
Currently, broiler chickens still require feed-grade phosphorus supplementation. Whether it's DCP, MCP, or MDCP, they all play a crucial role in broiler feed, contributing to the efficient and high-quality development of the poultry farming industry! Polifar provides one-stop service to help global customers complete their feed additive procurement faster and better. If you need products other than phosphorus for broiler feed additives, such as premixes, please also contact us!
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