AN INVESTIGATION OF CALCIUM CITRATE MALATE AS A CALCIUM SOURCE FOR YOUNG BROILER CHICKS : A REVIEW

To evaluate calcium citrate malate as a good source of calcium when compared to commercial grade limestone, two experiments were conducted. In the first experiment, two different diets with calcium concentration 0.7% and 09% were formulated using calcium citrate malate and limestone, which had no difference in bone development (dry fat-free tibia, tibia weight, tibia ash, or tibia calcium), but chicks had better 0-18 days body weight gains and feed conversion ratios with calcium citrate malate diet than limestone diet. In the second experiment, five different diets with calcium concentration 0.50%, 0.55%, 0.60%, 0.65% and 0.70% were formulated using calcium citrate malate and limestone along with sodium diphosphate as a phosphorus source. Chicks fed with these diets had similar bone development and tibial dyschondroplasia pathology. Two control diets were formulated using limestone and calcium citrate malate with dicalcium phosphate as a phosphorus source. Limestone diet did not promote good growth of chicks and had lower weights of tibia, tibial bone ash, calcium, and phosphorus compared to calcium citrate malate diet. It was concluded that calcium citrate malate was a good calcium source than limestone.