Nutritional value of amaranth (genus Amaranthus L.) grain in diets for broiler chickens

The following characteristics were determined in raw and popped amaranth grain: crude protein (158.1 and 168.5 g/kg), ether extract (71.5 and 69.4 g/kg), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) (99.2 and 111.8 g/kg), cellulose (86.6 and 60.0 g/kg) and essential amino acids (Cys 4.2 and 4.1, Thr 6.0 and 6.5, Ala 8.8 and 9.2, Val 6.8 and 7.4, Ile 5.2 and 5.6, Lys 9.2 and 8.8, Arg 12.8 and 14.2 g/kg). In vitro protein digestibility was 68.1 and 50.6% in raw and popped amaranth grain, respectively. In balance experiments with broiler chickens ROSS 308 the following coefficients of apparent digestibility (%) were determined for control and experimental diets containing 0, 10% raw and 10% popped amaranth: crude protein 85.4, 86.5 and 83.0, ether extract 88.3, 88.2 and 86.1, NDF 21.2, 27.6 and 15.9, cellulose 25.0, 38.4 and 36.3, nitrogen free extractives 76.1, 82.6 and 81.1, organic matter 77.3, 81.8 and 80.6, gross energy 77.5, 80.6 and 78.2.