Brazilian Journal of Poultry Science Revista Brasileira de Ciência Avícola ISSN 1516-635X Jan - Mar 2009 / v.11 / n.1 / 39 - 49

Author(s)

Calcium and Available Phosphorus Levels for Laying Hens in Second Production Cycle*

ABSTRACT

1

Pelicia K Garcia EA2 Faitarone ABG3 Silva AP3 Berto DA3 Molino AB3 Vercese F3 1

2

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Professor, Ph.D., Researcher of the Department of Animal Science of the School of Agronomy and Animal Science, José do Rosário Vellano - UNIFENAS, Alfenas campus, MG. Associate Professor of the Department of Animal Production, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, UNESP, Botucatu campus, SP. Students of the Post-Graduation Program in Animal Science of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, UNESP, Botucatu campus, SP.

Mail Address Kleber Pelícia Rua Dr. João Candido Villas Boas, 351 Vila Pinheiro 18609-690. Botucatu, SP, Brasil. Tel: (14) 3882 5735 3811 7185 / 7189 E-mail: [email protected]

Keywords Available phosphorus, egg quality, nutritional requirements, post-molting, semi-heavy layers.

Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) for financial support. (*) Part of the thesis of the first author to obtain his Ph.D. title by the Post-Graduation Program in Animal Science of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, UNESP, Botucatu campus, SP; Arrived: October/2008 Approved: March/2009

This experiment studied the effect of four calcium (3.0, 3.5, 4.0, and 4.5%) and four available phosphorus levels (0.25, 0.30, 0.35, and 0.40%) in the diet of semi-heavy commercial layers after molting. Hisex Brown® layers between 90 and 108 weeks of age were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design with a 4x4 factorial arrangement with 16 treatments of five replicates of eight birds each. mortality, egg production, feed intake, egg mass, average egg weight, calcium and phosphorus intake, feed conversion ratio (per dozen eggs and per kg eggs), eggshell percentage and thickness, eggshell strength, eggshell weight per surface area (ESWSA), yolk percentage and color, albumen percentage, albumen and yolk heights, and blood and excreta calcium and phosphorus concentrations. There was no interaction (P>0.05) between dietary Ca and avP for any of the studied parameters. There were linear increases in Ca intake (P