Influence of Amount and Type of Fat on Metabolic Efficiency of Energy Utilization by the Chick

Abstract

Studies were conducted to determine the influence of fats of varying fatty acid composition on the efficiency of energy utilization by chicks. When chicks were fed equal intakes of metabolizable energy from low fat diets or diets containing corn oil, beef tallow, soybean oil, or a lightly hydrogenated olive oil, more energy was deposited in the carcasses of chicks fed diets containing the fats than in the carcasses of chicks fed the low fat diet. However, no increase in energy deposition in the carcass was observed if diets containing hydrogenated coconut fat were fed compared with low fat diets. Ten per cent of corn oil in the diet was nearly as effective in improving efficiency of energy utilization as levels up to 34.9% of the diet.