Interrelationship between environmental temperature and dietary nonphytate phosphorus in chicks

Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 16801, USA.

Four levels of nonphytate P (NPP; 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5%; total P = 0.46, 0.56, 0.66, and 0.76%) and two temperatures (25 and 37 degrees C) were evaluated in chicks from 8 to 22 d. In experiment 1, crossbred male chicks (New Hampshire x Columbian) housed at 25 degrees C increased weight gain at all increasing NPP levels, but chicks exposed to 37 degrees C did not show increased weight gain beyond 0.3% NPP. In experiment 2, environmental temperature was not increased until d 15. Weight gain of crossbred male chicks fed the 0.2% NPP diet was similar at both temperatures, but chicks exposed to 37 degrees C had lower weight gains than chicks housed at 25 degrees C for all other NPP levels. On d 22 to 24, chicks that had been housed at 25 degrees C and fed 0.2, 0.3, and 0.5% NPP were moved to the 37 degrees C chamber to evaluate heat stress on older chicks. Chicks fed the 0.2% NPP diet showed 35% mortality within 6 h. In experiment 3, both male commercial (Ross x Ross) and crossbred chicks that had been housed at 25 degrees C and fed 0.2% NPP from 8 to 22 d showed increased signs of severe heat distress when exposed to 37 degrees C on d 22. Our results suggest that the NPP requirement for growth of 8-to-22-d-old chicks may be reduced by high temperature. However, a NPP deficiency may result in increased mortality or severe heat distress in older chicks that are exposed to an acute increase in temperature.