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Utilization of Fatty Acids by the Chicken¹

Department of Poultry Husbandry and Graduate School of Nutrition, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

1. Studies were conducted with chicks up to 4 weeks of age and with hens to determine the absorbability of single fatty acids fed at a level of 20% in a semipurified diet. Absorbability was estimated both by determination of fecal lipids and by combustion analysis of energy utilization. The two methods were in generally close agreement.

2. In the chick, utilization of the saturated fatty acids from C₁₂ to C₁₈ decreased as chain length increased. Palmitic and stearic acids were essentially unutilized. Oleic acid was found to be approximately 88% utilized by the chick.

3. In the hen, utilization of the saturated fatty acids also decreased with increase in chain length. Absorbability of myristic, palmitic and stearic acids, however, was significantly greater for the hen than for the chick. Hens refused to consume a diet containing 20% of lauric acid.

4. Inclusion of lauric or myristic acid in the diets of chicks significantly reduced growth rate, the reduction being most marked for lauric acid.

² Present address: Department of Household Economics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

³ Present address: Department of Poultry Husbandry, University of California, Davis.

Manuscript received 6 March 1961.