Availability of phosphorus contained in poultry litter for lambs.

Percentage net phosphorus availability (NPHA) and set phosphorus utilization (NPHU) of the phosphorus contained in a heat-sterilized poultry litter (PL) as compared to feed grade dicalcium phosphate (DCP) for lambs was assessed by the "slope" method. The method was based on the evaluation of the function of apparent phosphorus absorption (NPHA), or retention (NPHU), on phosphorus intake. Nitrogen retention was also evaluated. Plasma inorganic phosphorus concentration as a function of phosphorus intake was evaluated and compared to NPHA and NPHU. The percentage of NPHA was found to be 63.7 and 39, and that of NPHU was 63 and 38 for the phosphorus supplied by DCP and PL, respectively. Thus, the NPHA or NPHU for the phosphorus contained in PL is 60.9 and 60.3% of that of DCP, respectively. The slope ratio between the two phosphate supplements as observed for plasma inorganic phosphorus concentrations was similar to those found for NPHA and NPHU but the coefficient of variation was 5 times higher. Nitrogen digestibility was not affected by the level of phosphorus in the diets. Correlation between nitrogen retention and NPHA or NPHU was, however, significant (P less than 0.05). The slopes of dependence of N retention upon phosphorus intake were 2.81 and 1.6 (P less than 0.05) for DCP and PL treatments, respectively, and the ratio between the slopes was 0.57, close to the ratio of NPHU in PL to DCP-supplemented diets.