Effect of inclusion level of linseed on the nutrient utilisation of diets for growing broiler chickens

1. Diets containing linseed at inclusions of 0, 80, 120 and 160 g/kg were evaluated for digestibility of nutrients and AME(n) content with male broiler chickens. 2. Increasing the concentration of linseed decreased the retention of nitrogen and the digestibility of amino acids, crude fat and fatty acids of diets. 3. Dietary AME(n) (MJ/kg) was also affected by the rate of inclusion of linseed, values decreasing from 14.39 to 12.49. 4. In general, a linear regression model explained the relationship between dietary linseed content and nutritive parameters. However, the quadratic response found for the digestibility of several amino acids and fatty acids indicated a non-additive change in their digestibility. 5. Viscosity of jejunal digesta was markedly increased by each increment of linseed in the diets. This is attributable to the presence of mucilage in linseed and it might explain many of the results obtained in this study.