Nutritional evaluation of grain amaranth for growing chickens

The nutritional value of raw and autoclaved grain amaranth, its milling fractions (perisperm and bran), fat-free flour, and of popped amaranth was evaluated for growing chickens. The control diet, which was composed primarily of corn and soybean meal, contained 3.06 kcal apparent ME (AME)/g and 23.6% CP. Test diets contained about the same AME and CP levels, and the following levels of the test samples: whole grain amaranth flour, 61.46%; fat-free flour, 62.10%; perisperm, 49.50%; bran, 35.30%; and popped amaranth, 61.10%. Two groups of six unsexed broiler chicks each, 2-day old when received, were used per diet. Chickens fed diets containing autoclaved grain amaranth or its fractions over 17 or 18 days grew as well as those fed the control diet. Feeding of popped amaranth resulted in poorer performance. On a dry matter basis, AME values of raw grain amaranth flour, fat-free flour, perisperm, bran, and popped amaranth were found to be 3.21, 3.09, 3.68, 3.06, and 2.98 kcal/g, respectively. Respective AME values for the first four autoclaved samples were 3.04, 2.94, 3.10, and 3.17 kcal/g. Autoclaved grain amaranth and its perisperm fraction replaced corn in the diets of growing chickens with similar performance results.