Minerals availability from cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) bone meal in poultry

An experiment was conducted to study the availability of minerals from cuttlefish bone meal for adult male White Leghorn birds. A metabolism trial was conducted on 20 birds divided into four equal groups viz. the standard ration with dried fish and mineral mixture (T₁), di-calcium phosphate (DCP) as calcium source (T₂), or cuttlefish bone meal replacing DCP at 50 (T₃) or 100 (T₄) per cent levels, respectively. There was no adverse effert on the retention of Ca, P, Mn or Zn by replacing DCP with cutttle fish bone meal rather there was a linear increase in the manganese and zinc retention when cuttle fish bone meal replaced DCP at 50 and 100 per cent levels. All the birds showed positive balance of these minerals. It was concluded that cuttle fish bone meal can be incorporated as a source of calcium in the diet of monogastric animals and that the manganese and zinc are in the available form.