Influence of three commercial phytases on performance of broilers fed low phosphorous diets

A six week feeding trial with 200 day-old commercial broiler chicks was conducted to evaluate the influence of three commercial microbial phytases on the performance of broiler chickens receiving low phosphorus diets without additional inorganic phosphates. Treatments included a normal phosphorus level corn-soya diet, a low phosphorus diet and three low phosphorus plus phytase diets. Addition of three commercial phytases, phytase A (@400 gm/ton of feed for starter and 300 g/ton of feed for finisher diets), phytase B (@ 1 kg/ton of feed) and phytase C (at the level of 100 gm/ton of feed) resulted in significant increase in the body weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency. Low phosphorous diet without phytase enzyme supplementation showed a depressed body weight gain, feed consumption and feed efficiency. The improved broiler's performance was related to an improved phosphorous utilization.