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).

Three experiments were conducted to determine the effect of protein and dietary sorghum tannin levels on weight gain (WG), feed conversion (FC), and pancreas weight (PW) of female turkeys from Day 1 to 12 wk of age. Two protein levels (100 and 85% of NRC, 1984) and five tannin levels (0, .49, .98,1.47, and 1.96%, expressed as percentage catechin equivalents) in a factorial arrangement of treatments were used in all experiments. Turkeys were fed the dietary treatments from Day 1 to 4 wk, 4 to 8 wk, and 8 to 12 wk in Experiments 1,2, and 3, respectively. No significant (P > .05) interaction between protein and tannin level was observed for WG, FC, or PW in all experiments. Neither protein nor tannin level had an effect on PW expressed as a percentage of body weight. In all experiments, feeding the suboptimal protein level significantly (P < .05) depressed WG and FC of turkeys compared with the diet that was adequate in protein. Increasing tannin level linearly depressed WG and increased FC in Experiments 1 and 2. However, tannin level did not affect WG or FC of turkeys 8 to 12 wk of age (Experiment 3). It is possible that the presumably more fully developed digestive processes of 8-wk-old turkeys were able to overcome the antinutritional effects of tannins. Results of the present study suggest that if high tannin grains are to be utilized in turkey diets, they should be fed to birds older than 8 wk. (

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Thirty-six feed phosphates, including nine mono-dicalcium phosphates (M-DCP, 21% P), 13 di-monocalcium phosphates (D-MCP, 18.5% P), and 14 thermochemically produced defluorinated phosphates (DFP, 18.0% P), were analyzed for moisture, Ca, P, and 9 essential minerals (K, Mg, Na, Cl, Fe, Cu, Mn, Se, and Zn). Also, nine potentially toxic elements (Al, F, As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb, Ni, and V) were determined. All of the M-DCP were of domestic origin; 5 of the 13 D-MCP samples were obtained in Algeria, Peru, Holland, and South Africa. The DFP samples included 10 domestic products, 2 samples from Russia, 1 from Poland, and 1 from Japan. Levels of Na were high in the DFP samples (3.96 to 5.78%), except for the two Russian samples, which contained only .16 and .19%. Magnesium levels varied from .09 to .76%, .02 to 1.21%, and .01 to 1.54% in the M-DCP, D-MCP, and DFP samples, respectively. Two Russian DFP samples contained 1.51 and 1.54% Mg. Chlorine levels were generally quite low (.002 to .020%); however, two precipitated D-MCP samples contained .12 and 1.47% Cl. Iron levels were high (.24 to 1.41%) in all samples except the bone-precipitated D-MCP (.039%), and the reference standard, calcium phosphate, dibasic dihydrate, USP (.029%). Levels of Cu, Mn, and Zn were quite variable. Cadmium varied from < 1 ppm in the DFP samples to 67 ppm in one experimental M-DCP. Vanadium levels varied from 20 to 796 ppm in one experimental M-DCP sample. Fluorine levels were in the acceptable range, .05 to .21%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A study was conducted to determine the relative biological value (RBV) of phosphorus from two bone-precipitated dicalcium phosphates (DCP-BP) in turkey starter diets. An estimated 40,000 metric tons of DCP-BP are produced annually in the United States as a by-product of gelatin production. The two DCP-BP sources were compared to commercial feed phosphates. Two bioassay experiments of 21-d duration were conducted with female turkeys. Phosphate sources were each fed at three levels (.18, .24, and .36% added total phosphorus) in a corn-soybean meal diet. Calcium level was maintained constant at 1.0% in all diets by adjusting the level of ground limestone. Four replicate pens of six poults were randomly assigned at 1 d of age to each level of each phosphorus source in each bioassay. The reference standard was United States Pharmacopeia (USP) grade calcium phosphate, dibasic dihydrate. Data representing three response criteria (weight gain, gain:feed ratio, and tibia ash percentage at 21 d) were combined to calculate a biological value (BV) for each test source and the reference standard phosphate. A RBV was then computed for each test source. The RBV of the two DCP-BP sources were 98.8 and 99.1, as compared to 100.0 for the reference standard, and 86.7, 87.1, and 88.4 for three commercial, thermochemically produced defluorinated phosphates. The RBV of one commercial mono-dicalcium phosphate, and three di-monocalcium phosphates were: 96.4, and 91.2, 94.7, and 101.5, respectively. The two DCP-BP sources compared favorably to commercial feed phosphates, and would be satisfactory supplements in diets for starting chicks, poults, pigs, and other species.