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The Effect of Solubility and Particle Size of Calcium Sources on Shell Quality and Bone Mineralization

Department of Animal Science, Morrison Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; Phone: (607) 255-8143; FAX: (607) 255-9829

J. Blanchard

ISA-Babcock, P. O. Box 280, Ithaca, NY 14851

Correspondence: K. Keshavarz

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of two Ca sources of similar particle size (pulverized limestone, PL; and pulverized oyster shell, POS) with different in vitro solubility (47 vs. 88% for PL and POS, respectively) in the presence and absence of oyster shell particles (OS) on performance and shell quality. The experiment consisted of a 3 x 4 factorial arrangement of the treatments, with three levels of Ca (3, 3.5 and 4%) and four sources of supplemental Ca (all PL, all POS, 2/3 PL plus 1/3 OS, and 2.3 POS plus 1/3 OS). Body weight gain and feed intake for the entire experiment were greater for hens fed 3% than for hens fed the other Ca levels, but they were lower for hens fed all the supplemental Ca as POS than for the other sources of Ca. Egg production, egg weight, egg mass, and feed conversion were not influenced by the Ca levels or the Ca sources for the entire experiment. Dietary treatments did not influence bone ash. Specific gravity was significantly lower for hens fed the 3% Ca than for hens fed the higher Ca levels, though in vitro solubility of Ca sources in the range used in this study did not influence it. OS seemed to improve specific gravity, however.

Key Words: Bone mineralization • calcium solubility • laying hens oyster shell • shell quality

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