The interaction of boron with calcium, phosphorus and cholecalciferol in broilers

Abstract

Four hundred and thirty-two day-old Cobb x Cobb feather-sexed chicks were placed in batteries for 21 days and randomly assigned at one day of age to eight treatment diets. The basal diet contained 22.3 ppm of boron as determined by analysis. Tibia ash was significantly lower for birds fed diets with low calcium and phosphorus or with low cholecalciferol. Feeding diets low in cholecalciferol increased the severity of tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) and body weight depression. Body weight, tibia ash and TD were not improved by adding 60 ppm of boron to the diet. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.