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Effect of Dietary Calcium and Phosphorus Level Sequences on Performance, Structural Soundness and Bone Characteristics of Growing-Finishing Swine^1,2,

The Ohio State University and The Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Center, Columbus 43210-1095

Abstract

The effects of feeding various dietary Ca:P level sequences on gain and feed efficiency, leg structural soundness and bone indices of growing-finishing swine were evaluated as an incomplete 3 x 3 factorial arrangement of treatments in a split-plot design. A total of 664 pigs were fed one of three total dietary Ca:P levels (.52:.40, .65:.50, .80:.60%) from 19-kg to 56-kg body weights followed by one of three Ca:P levels (.45:.32, .52:.40, .65:.50%) to market weight. The .80:.60% and .65:.50% Ca:P mineral sequence was not evaluated. Diets were formulated to 14.5% crude protein using a corn-soybean meal mixture with proportions of dicalcium phosphate and limestone altered to attain the desired dietary Ca:P levels. Maximum gains occurred at the .65:.50% and .52:.40% Ca:P level during the grower (P < .01) and finisher (P < .01) periods, respectively. No grower x finisher phase pig gain or feed intake interaction resulted, providing evidence of no carry-over response on these measurements from the grower to the finisher period. Serum P concentration increased and plateaued at the same dietary Ca:P level, as did rate of gain at both 56-kg and 95-kg body weights. Leg soundness subjectively evaluated at 56-kg and 95-kg body weights revealed no effect of dietary Ca:P level on soundness scores at 56 kg, but at 95-kg body weight, the interaction between grower and finisher diets was significant. Percentage bone ash of the humerus, shaft thickness and bending moment of the femur increased as dietary Ca:P level increased at both 56-kg and 95-kg body weights. In contrast to gain and feed performance measurements, interactions (P < .05) between dietary levels fed during the grower and finisher phases altered bone development.

¹ Salaries and research support provided by State and Federal Funds appropriated to the Ohio Agric. Res. and Dev. Center, The Ohio State Univ., Journal Article No. 139-87.

² Appreciation is expressed to P. Hiltner for technical assistance; to R. Sabine, R. Todd, B. Taylor, G. Smith, J. Reed and A. Rea for help in collection of data and bone samples and to J. Holman for statistical analysis.

³ Present address: Dept. Anim. Sci. and The Coop. Ext. Serv., Univ. of Delaware, Newark.

⁴ Reprint requests: Anim. Sci. Dept., The Ohio State Univ., Columbus.