Phosphorus requirement and excretion of finishing beef cattle fed different concentrations of phosphorus

Phosphorus is an expensive nutrient to supplement, and excess may lead to manure P challenges. Therefore, minimizing dietary P to meet requirements is important. Two experiments were conducted to determine the P requirement of finishing cattle (Exp. 1) and to evaluate the effects of feeding different P concentrations on the quantity and route of P excretion (Exp. 2). In Exp. 1, 60 heifers (BW = 278 kg +/- 17 kg) were individually fed 1 of 5 dietary P concentrations (0.10, 0.17, 0.24, 0.31, or 0.38% P). Cattle performance, plasma P concentration, bone characteristics, and bone P concentration were used to determine the P requirement. Intake and ADG increased quadratically (P < 0.01) as dietary P increased. Plasma P in heifers receiving the 0.10% treatment was less (P < 0.01) than the other treatments and suggested that these heifers were experiencing a P deficiency. Total ash weight of the phalanx bones increased linearly (P < 0.01) as dietary P increased. In Exp. 2 using a 5 x 5 Latin square design, 5 different diets varying in P concentration (0.12, 0.27, 0.42, 0.30, and 0.36% P) were fed to steers to evaluate route and quantity of P excreted. Steers excreted little (1.78 g/d on average) P in the urine as a percentage of total P excretion. Steers on the 0.12% P diet excreted very little P in urine (0.50 g/d). Excretion of P was less (P < 0.05) for the cattle fed 0.12% P compared with all other treatments. Results from cattle performance, plasma P concentrations, and bone characteristics indicate that the heifers fed 0.10% P were experiencing a deficiency and the P requirement of finishing heifers is between 0.10 and 0.17% P. Dietary P concentrations of 0.10 to 0.17% P resulted in decreased P excretion. Supplementation of mineral P is unnecessary in grain-based feedlot diets because dietary P will greatly exceed the requirements (< 0.17%).