As a feed acidifier, the feed additive calcium formate can reduce the pH value of substances in the digestive tract to provide the most suitable digestive environment for animals to meet the new growth promoters of nutrient acquisition and intestinal bacteriostatic bacteria and be applied in livestock and poultry feed.
However, how much calcium formate needs to be added to the feed can play a role, what advantages it has compared to its acidifier, and how calcium formate should be chosen, these have become the focus of current attention.
Taking broiler chickens as an example, the test measures the effect of the organic acids fumarate and calcium formate added to the feed and raised broilers.
In the first trial, roosters were raised to 21 days of age with fumarate additions of 0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5%, respectively, and calcium formate additions of 0, 0.5, 1.48, 2.20 and 2.89%. It was designed for 5×4 compound factors to comprehensively evaluate the feeding effect of fumarate and calcium formate.
Experimental conclusion: The addition of 0.5% calcium formate significantly (P<0.05) increased the weight of broiler chickens, but did not affect the feed utilization efficiency. When calcium formate is added in excess of 1.48%, weight gain and feed use efficiency are significantly reduced. There was no significant interaction between fumarate and calcium formate dosages.
In the second trial, male and female broilers were raised to 49 days of age, using feeds with the addition of 0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% calcium formate. The addition of 0.5 or 1.0% calcium formate had a significant effect on weight gain and feed utilization efficiency. The addition of 1.0% calcium formate reduces weight gain and feed use efficiency in 21- and 42-day-old male and female broilers.
At 49 days of age, the weight gain and feeding of roosters fed 1.5% calcium formate differed significantly from those of broiler chickens fed in the control group, but significantly less than those fed with 0.5 or 1.0% calcium formate.
The test conclusion: The addition of 1.5% calcium formate significantly increased the weight gain of 49-day-old hens.
Purpose of the experiment: The purpose of the joint use of organic acids is because fumarate is known to enhance the performance of broiler chickens, and its price is far more expensive than calcium formate, and the authors hope to explore the possibility of joint use of two organic acid sources to promote the performance of broilers. The amount of fumarate added to the feed was 0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5%, respectively, and the addition of calcium formate to the feed was 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0% formic acid activity.
Table 1. Test the composition of the feed
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Composition
Trial 1
Test 2
Brooding period
growth period
Fattening period
Yellow corn
Soybean meal ( Crude Protein 48% )
Mixed fats
Propack 1
Calcium bisphosphate
Limestone powder
Vitamin Ready Mix 2
salt
Trace Minerals 3
DL-Methionine (99%)
L-Lysine-hydrochloride (98%)
Variant 4
Total
%
54.35
26.61
6.53
5.00
1.08
0.78
0.50
0.42
0.10
0.16
0.08
4.39
100.00
58.09
29.07
4.18
1.02
0.00
0.43
0.11
1.50
61.60
25.00
4.66
1.10
69.40
18.13
4.10
0.80
0.04
Effect of Calcium Formate on Feed Utilization (Weight Gain: Feed) in Broiler Chickens (Trial 2)
Calcium formate
0 ~ 21 days
0 ~ 42 days
0 to 49 days
( % )
( g/g )
1.0
Pooled SEM
0.624 a
0.673 a
0.647 a
0.614 a
0.007
0.515 a
0.530 a
0.524 a
0.506 b
0.005
0.505 a
0.529 a
0.513 a
0.505 b
0.004
a.b Significant differences between different letters in the same line ( P>0.05 )
Lab Discussion:
The addition of calcium formate to broiler feed had a positive effect on growth and feed utilization, and the positive effect of fumarate on broilers was consistent with many previous studies. Vogtetal. The report said that adding less than 2% formic acid to broiler feed had no adverse effect on the weight of broilers. They also found that calcium formate improved feed utilization in broiler chickens in a curved manner, with consumption between 1.0 and 1.5% at peak utilization. Vogtetal. Calcium formate was found to reduce the number of bacteria in the broiler's small intestine and colon. Calcium formate promotes the performance of broilers. Organic acids can not only reduce the pH in the environment, but also achieve the purpose of bacteriostatic by destroying bacterial cell membranes, interfering with the synthesis of bacterial enzymes, and affecting the replication of bacterial DNA.
About the choice of calcium formate
Raw material: First of all, feed grade calcium formate needs to be locked. At present, there are manufacturers on the market with chemical calcium formate to shoddy, sold to users to do feed additives, by-product acid production of calcium formate not only can not play a role in reducing the acidity of the feed system but will cause harm to animals. Feed grade calcium formate produced from positive acid should be selected.
Content: Select high content. The content of feed grade calcium formate can mostly reach 95%, in addition to which we also need to consider the calcium content and digestion and absorption rate.
Carrier: Select crystal. Because general sterilization products will be decomposed by secretory enzymes such as the oral cavity when they are eaten, they will lose some of their efficacy, or cause loss during chewing. Making it into a crystal can guarantee its maximum integrity to the stomach. Calcium formate can dissociate free formic acid under the action of stomach acid, reduce the pH of the digestive tract, and better regulate the intestinal flora and absorb organic calcium.