Table 5. Effects of dietary vitamin D₃ concentration on femur development in 21-day-old broilers (experiment 2)¹⁾

Vitamin D₃ (IU/kg)	Bone weight (g/bone)	Bone length (cm/bone)	Mineral percentage (%)			Mineral weight (g/bone)
Vitamin D₃ (IU/kg)	Bone weight (g/bone)	Bone length (cm/bone)	Ash	Ca	P	Ash	Ca	P
0	0.81^c	3.83^b	35.5^b	12.8^b	6.91^b	0.29^c	0.10^b	0.06^c
125	1.22^b	4.60^a	46.7^a	17.5^a	8.98^a	0.56^b	0.21^a	0.11^b
250	1.33^ab	4.66^a	45.7^a	17.6^a	9.19^a	0.60^ab	0.23^a	0.12^ab
500	1.33^ab	4.69^a	47.5^a	17.0^a	9.15^a	0.63^ab	0.23^a	0.12^ab
1,000	1.43^a	4.79^a	46.8^a	17.0^a	8.97^a	0.67^a	0.24^a	0.13^a
2,000	1.43^a	4.78^a	45.9^a	17.1^a	8.84^a	0.66^a	0.24^a	0.13^a
SEM	0.04	0.07	0.8	0.3	0.16	0.03	0.01	0.005
p-value
Linear	< 0.05	< 0.05	< 0.05	< 0.05	< 0.05	< 0.05	< 0.05	< 0.05
Quadratic	< 0.05	< 0.05	< 0.05	< 0.05	< 0.05	< 0.05	< 0.05	< 0.05

Each value represents the mean of five repetitions (two broilers per repetition) (n = 5).
Values with different superscripts are significantly different (p < 0.05).
Ca, calcium; P, phosphorus.