What is in a Phosphorous source?

Phosphorous is the essential element involved in energy and nutrient metabolism. The deficiency of this mineral negatively affects animal performance, fertility and bone mineralization.

Importance and supplementation of Phosphorous
Phosphorous plays an important role in metabolic processes and has more physiological functions such as maintenance of skeletal tissue, growth, appetite control, fertility and energy and feed utilization than any other mineral.
Phosphorous is frequently found in insufficient quantities in common feedstuffs fed to animals and supplementation of P has therefore become common practice in livestock feeding.

Inorganic P supplements
Today a large number of different inorganic feed phosphates are used as dietary P-supplements. It must however be stressed that not all inorganic P sources are the same in terms of quality and it is therefore vital to have a sound knowledge of the differences between the products in order to make a well-informed choice. Properties to look at include:

Chemical Composition – Use a product of which the chemical composition is not only according to the correct specification, but is also consistent and can be guaranteed by the manufacturer. KK Animal Nutrition has its own laboratory and can provide customers with a certificate of analysis for every shipment.
Physical appearance – products should not be dusty or powdery – Kynofos 21 is in an ideal granular form, making it dust free, free flowing and easy to handle.
Undesirable elements –KK Animal Nutrition uses de-fluorinated phosphoric acid in its manufacturing processes, which means the product is especially low in fluorine and cadmium, as well as other undesirable elements, such as arsenic, lead and mercury.
Bioavailability – describes to what extent an animal can utilise a given nutrient – in this case P. Knowing the bioavailability of a P source is important, as this makes it possible to optimise feed formulation according to the animal’s requirements for digestible P, instead of formulating for total P. As a result, the cost of raw materials can be reduced due to less inorganic P being added to the diet. This will lead to less P being excreted by the animals, hence significantly reducing environmental P pollution.

Summary
Supplementation of P is essential for optimal production and reproduction of all farm animals.
Due to the fact that there are so many different P sources available to the client, it is important to know what to look for in a P source in order to be able to choose the best value for your money.