Study of the interaction between dietary cation-anion balance and microbial phytase on performance, carcass characteristics and immune response of broiler chickens

This experiment was carried out using 1200 male Ross broiler chicks to evaluate the interaction effects between dietary cation-anion balance and microbial phytase on performance¡ carcass characteristics and immune response. The chicks were assigned of the dietery tretements with a 4×3 factorial arrangement in completely randomized design with four levels of dietary cation-anion balance (200¡ 225¡ 250 and 275 mEq/kg of diet) and three levels of microbial phytase (0¡ 500 and 750 phytase units/kg of diets). Results showed that the dietary cation-anion balance and microbial phytase interaction was significant (P 0.05) for carcass characteristics (carcass¡ thighs¡ breast¡ back neck¡ liver¡ heart¡ spleen¡ gizzard¡ borsa and abdominal fat weights¡ and also intestine weight and length of the broiler chickens). The dietary cation-anion balance × microbial phytase interaction was significant (P