Nutritional approaches to reducing phosphorus excretion by poultry

Phosphorus is an essential mineral for growing poultry, and the consequences of a failure to provide for adequate quantities of this nutrient are physiologically and economically disastrous. Therefore, nutritionists provide a margin of safety for this mineral in their diets. However, because of growing concerns regarding the potential contribution of P in poultry excreta on eutrophication of surface waters, increasing pressure is being placed to limit the amount of excess P in diets and thus reduce fecal output. In order to significantly reduce fecal P while maintaining economic productivity, the nutritionist must establish and maintain an integrated program of activities, including an effective quality control program for incoming animal protein feeds, selection of P supplements of the highest biological value, use of phytase enzymes, and judicious selection of dietary P levels. Potential benefits of newer isomers of vitamin D and the commercial development of grains with high levels of nonphytate P offer promise in the future. Whatever measures are taken to increase the biological availability of the phytate-bound and nonphytate P portions of the diet, commensurate reductions in overall dietary P content must be made.