The effects were assessed of including phytase and its nutritional matrix in diets containing sorghum on the performance of the birds, egg quality, intake and phosphorus excretion and retention in laying hens. One hundred and eighty laying hens were arranged in a randomized complete design in a 2 × 2 + 1 factorial arrangement with two phytase levels (0 and 500 FTU/kg diet), two levels of corn replacement for sorghum (50 and 100%) and a control diet (without phytase and sorghum) forming five treatments and six replications of six birds. The diets were based on corn and soybean meal, without phytase and sorghum, considering the phytase nutritional matrix. Performance and egg quality were determined in four 28-day periods. At the end of the experiment, a metabolism trial was carried out to quantify intake, excretion and apparent retention of phosphorus and nitrogen and to assess the economic viability of the diets. When the phytase nutritional matrix was considered, the energy, calcium phosphorus, protein and amino acid requirements were met, even with a reduction in the nutritional levels of the diet, and performance and egg quality were not affected. Adding phytase to the diets decreased all the economic parameters. Sorghum can be used to totally replace corn, and can be the only energy grain in the diet.
alternative foods; apparent phosphorus and nitrogen retention; birds; economic assessment
