True digestibility of the essential amino acids of high-protein sunflower meals by balanced experiments with intact and caecectomized birds from Gallus species

Abstract. Using adapted methods for balanced experiments with poultry, the true digestibility coefficients of the essential amino acids of two high protein sunflower meals – 40+® and 47® have been established. The true digestibility coefficients by using two methods – with intact and randomized (caecectomized) birds have been compared. Six birds were tube fed and six – feed deprived for both of the fodders. The amino acids were established with amino analyzer AAA-881 after preliminary HCl hydrolysis. The mean digestibility of sunflower meal 40+® is higher in intact (88.11 versus 85.73 of sunflower meal 47®) compared to randomized birds (87.20 versus 85.46 of sunflower meal 47®). The differences by lots are statistically significant only in intact birds. The authors recommend for practical needs to use the average true digestibility coefficients between both meals, established with randomized birds (ileal digestibility).