Influences of Previous Calcium and Phosphorus Intake and Plant Phosphorus on the Requirement of Developing Turkeys for Calcium and Phosphorus

ESTABLISHED calcium and phosphorus requirements for turkey poults from 0–8 weeks vary considerably among investigators (Wilcox et al., 1953). After reviewing the literature on phosphorus requirement, Almquist (1954) concluded that 0.6% readily available phosphorus was needed by the poult. Blaylock et al. (1961) reported that 0.8% calcium and 0.8% total phosphorus were adequate for maximum growth from 0–8 weeks, while Formica et al. (1961) reported that 0.65% total phosphorus and 0.8% calcium produced normal growth. These results suggest that the calcium and phosphorus requirements of turkey poults from 0–8 weeks are lower than those recommended by the National Research Council (1960). Nelson et al. (1961) suggested that requirements for calcium and phosphorus for developing turkeys were lower than those recommended by the National Research Council (1960). A level of 0.6% for both calcium and total phosphorus was found to be adequate for optimum growth of turkeys from…