author(s)
Vidyasagar, Jayanaik, V Malathi, BC Umashankar, C Kotresh Prasad and Irfan Ayub Sayyad

abstract
The present experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of phytase on mineral retention, blood and bone mineral content of low phosphorus diet fed in Giriraja birds supplied with ad libitum feed and water. Weighed and wing banded 420, day old chicks were randomly divided into seven groups(T₁- T₇) with four replicates (R₁-R₄) in each group containing 15 birds in each replicate (60 chicks per treatment) and reared under deep litter system till 6 weeks of age and fed as per the recommendations of ICAR (2013). The diet in T₁ (0.45% available P), T₂ (0.35% aP), T₃ (0.3% aP), T₄ (0.35% aP) + Phytase (P) 500 FTU/kg, T₅ (0.3% aP) + P 500 FTU/ kg, T₆ (0.35% aP) + P1000 FTU/kg, T₇ (0.3% aP) + P1000 FTU/kg. The data revealed that the addition of phytase enzyme in low phosphorus diet had significant (P≤0.05) effect on calcium and phosphorus retention and in bone Ca and P but there was no significant difference found in T_4, T_5, T₆ and T_7. Low blood Ca was observed in phytase fed birds. Whereas, the significant difference (P≤0.05) was observed in blood P concentration.