Phosphorus Requirement of Six Strains of Caged Laying Hens

Abstract The phosphorus requirement of caged laying hens was studied utilizing 160 pullets of each of 6 strains. A practical type corn-soybean meal ration was utilized and four different phosphorus levels were obtained by adding various levels of defluorinated phosphate. The test rations contained .45%, .55%, .65%, and .75% total phosphorus. The average phytin phosphorus content of all rations was .21%. The hens received the diets for 347 days. The phosphorus level of the ration did not have an effect on hen weight, feed consumption, egg production, mortality, or bone ash. Strain had a significant effect on hen weight in this experiment, however, the three white egg strains laid more eggs than the three brown egg strains. The requirement of the laying hens was not over .45% total phosphorus in the ration under the conditions of this experiment.