Effect of Various Cellulose Levels in the Diet on the Chick Growth

IT IS a widely known fact that fibrous material is generally not well assimilated by a growing chick; furthermore, the effect on the growth of a chick sometimes may be quite derogatory depending on the quantity of the fibrous material used in the diet. This effect is generally considered to be attributable to a reduction in the energy intake (Fraps, 1946; Peterson, 1950). In spite of the above findings, Davis and Briggs (1947) found that chick growth was promoted to a greater extent by a diet containing cellulose than one not containing cellulose, and they concluded this phenomenon might be caused by a specific effect of the cellulose itself or by some cellulose decomposition products. Heuser et al. (1945) and Bird and Whitson (1946) reported that fibrous feed did not affect the rate of egg production. Further, Lillie et al. (1951) found that oat hull cellulose contained in a diet …