Chemical composition and energetic values of sunflower meal and seed for broiler chickens.

The digestibility assay was carried out to determine chemical composition and energetic values of sunflower seed and meal for broiler chickens. Ninety chickens with 20 days of age were used and distributed in a completely randomized experimental design, with three treatments, six replications and five birds per experimental unit. The total collect of excretion methodology was used and food was replaced at 20% based on a reference diet of corn and soybean meal. The contents of DM, CP, GE, CF, Ca, P and EE were respectively, for meal and for sunflower seed 92.68% and 93.10%; 34.07% and 21.75%; 4,229 and 6,218kcal/kg; 21.73% and 15.51%; 0.45% and 0.33%; 1.13% and 0.72% and 1.40% and 39.89%. The sunflower seed showed the highest (p < 0.05) metabolization coefficients of dry matter (DMMC) and of gross energy (GEMC). The DMMC, GEMC and crude protein metabolization coefficient (CPMC) for sunflower meal and seed were respectively: 62.22% and 67.67%; 36.93% and 81.02%; 24.72% and 38.51%. The apparent metabolizable energy and corrected apparent values, for sunflower meal and seed, were, respectively, of 1,569 and 4,925 kcal/kg and 1,459 and 4,815 kcal/kg.