Estimated the Requirements for Calcium and Phosphorus of Female Arab Chicken in Semi-Scavenging Systems in the Tropics

Abstract

The ability of chickens to retain calcium and phosphorus at high temperatures is low, so a lot of calcium and phosphorus is wasted through feces. This study aimed to calculate the calcium and phosphorus requirements of female Arab chicken until the first age of laying eggs in a semi-scavenging system with a free choice feeding system in tropical climates. The research design was a completely randomized design with four treatments and each treatment was repeated 4 times and each replication consisted of 18-day old chick female Arab chickens. The treatments were (a) control feed, (b) high calcium high phosphorus feed and high calcium low phosphorus feed, (c) high calcium high phosphorus feed, high calcium low phosphorus feed and low calcium high phosphorus feed, and (d) high calcium high phosphorus, high calcium low phosphorus, low calcium high phosphorus, and control feed. The protein and energy content of all the feeds were based on the results of research by Adrizal et al (2017), while calcium and phosphorus were based on standards from Hy-line International in 2018. The data collected are feed consumption, calcium and phosphorus consumption, calcium, and phosphorus concentrations in the feed consumed. Data were analyzed by using ANOVA. This research has only been going on for 3 weeks. Consumption of feed was not different (P> 0.05) between treatments until week 3. Calcium intake was different (P<0.05) between treatments in weeks 2 and 3, Phosphorus intake was different (P< 0.05) between treatments in week 3. The calcium concentration of the feed consumed was significantly different (P <0.05) between treatments each week. Calcium concentration in control diets was significantly lower between treatments each week, except between T2 in week 3. Calcium concentration in T2 was lower than T3 in week 2, but it was similar to T3 dan T4 in week 3. The phosphorus concentration of T1 was lower than that of T3 and T4 in week 1 and of T2 and T3 in week 3. The body weight gain did not differ between treatments (P> 0.05) each week. It can be concluded that the concentration of calcium and phosphorus in the control diets was the limiting factor to support the growth of female Arab chicken as shown a numerically higher growth rate based on the free-choice feeding system.