One experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of different dietary fluorine:phosphorus (F:P) ratios on the performance and bone parameters of layer hens. One hundred and sixty layer hens were randomly allotted to an experimental design with four treatments (phosphorus sources with different F:P ratios - 1:40, 1:60, 1:80, 1:100) with five replicates of eight layers each. At the end of the experiment, two birds per replicate were slaughtered and their tibias were collected to assess the fluorine, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium contents. The different F:P ratios did not affect the feed intake, egg production, feed conversion, egg weight and specific gravity. However, shell percentage and shell thickness were lower when the F:P ratio was 1:100. Despite the absence of effects on egg production, reductions of 7.3, 5.4 and 9.8% were verified among birds that received diets with higher F:P ratios (1:100) in relation to those fed with diets with 1:40, 1:60 and 1:80 ratios, respectively. The fluorine bone deposition decreased and that of magnesium increased in birds fed diets with the highest F:P ratios. P sources with F:P ratios of 1:40 and 1:80 may be used in diets for commercial layer hens, since they do not affect their performance and egg shell quality.
bone minerals; performance; phosphorus sources; shell quality
