Phosphorus Requirements of Growing Rabbits

Abstract

A total of 104 weanling New Zealand White rabbits were used in a study to determine the minimum phosphorus requirement. A pelleted semi-purified basal diet containing 0.07% phosphorus was supplemented with dicalcium phosphate to provide phosphorus levels of 0.14 and 0.28% in Experiment 1 and 0.17, 0.22, 0.28 and 0.32% in Experiment 2. Several response criteria were used to assess the adequacy of phosphorus levels: body weight gains, blood phosphorus levels, alkaline phosphatase activity of the blood, bone weight, bone ash content, bone density and breaking strength and others. From the combined data of both experiments, it is evident that a dietary level of 0.22% approximates the minimum requirement for phosphorus.