PHOSPHORIC ACID AS A PHOSPHORUS SUPPLEMENT FOR SWAMP BUFFALOES

WAN ZAHARI MOHAMED

SUMMARY

A study is reported on the evaluation of phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) as a P supplement for adult swamp buffaloes. Ten bulls, about four years of age and weighing approximately 350 kg were divided into two treatments for an experimental period of 11 weeks. Feeding ad libitum Napier grass with H₃PO₄ at 9.9 g P/day/animal (equivalent to dietary P concentration of 0.49% D MI or 28.96 g P/day/animal) did not improve appetite and feed intake of the animals as compared to the control (receiving 19.5 g P/day/animal or 0.32% DMI). A significant depression of body weight changes (P<0.05) was observed in treatment animals with the mean of 21.0 kg and 12.0 kg for the control and treatment groups respectively. No difference in plasma P concentration was found between groups. Phosphoric acid supplementation insignificantly in creased the apparent digestibility of DM, OM, CP, CF, EE, E, Ca and Mg (except ash and P) but the retention of P was decrease (P<0.05). The dietary P concentratioonf 0.49% DMI with a Ca:P ratio of 1.68:1 caused a depression in feed conversion efficiency and body weight changes. It was concluded that H₃PO₄ is not an acceptable source of P for swamp buffaloes.

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