Comparison of the Chick Growth Inhibition of Unheated Linseed Hull and Cotyledon Fractions

NUMEROUS workers have reported on the growth-depressing effect of linseed meal in chick rations. Bethke and co-workers (1928) reported poor growth in chicks on a linseed supplement, compared with cottonseed meal and meat scraps. Ackerson and co-workers (1938) compared cottonseed meal and linseed meal with other protein supplements in the chick ration. Linseed meal produced less growth than cottonseed meal, and both protein sources were inferior to dried buttermilk or soybean meal. Slinger and co-workers (1943) showed that as linseed meal replaced meat scraps in the diet growth became successively poorer, and with the total protein supplement in the diet as linseed meal, growth was approximately 50 percent of that obtained with meat scraps as the supplement. McGinnis and Polis (1946) and Kratzer (1946) reported the improvement of linseed meal by a 24 hour water treatment at room temperature followed by drying. The four week gain was increased three fold …