Digestibility trials with poultry. IX. The digestibility and metabolizable energy of sunflower seeds

Abstract

1. Field tests indicate that sunflower seeds are suitable as a wartime substitute for cereal grains for fowls, and that eggs produced on rations containing these seeds are excellent in both flavour and quality.2. Digestibility trials indicate that sunflower seeds are a good source of protein and energy.3. On an energy basis, metabolizable energy determinations indicate that sunflower seeds yield more energy than cereal grains on a weight-for-weight basis, with the exception of yellow maize.4. Under commercial conditions of management, sunflower seeds appear to be quite palatable to poultry, but not under conditions of individual cage feeding.