Effect of various treatments on the nutritional value of rye or rye fractions

1. Rye grain was subjected to several treatments in an attempt to alter its nutritive value for young chickens. 2. Soaking rye in water or dilute hydrochloric acid improved its nutritional quality. This was manifested by increased food intake, food utilisation, weight gain and increased apparent absorption of fat for chicks fed on a diet containing treated rye. 3. Autoclaving rye before water soaking eliminated the effect of soaking, an effect attributed to denaturation of endogenous enzymes which were responsible for the deactivation of the deleterious compound(s). 4. Autoclaving, sprouting and soaking rye in dilute sodium hydroxide decreased its nutritive value. 5. Studies with rye fractions demonstrated that the apparent absorption of fat was lower in birds fed on diets containing rye flour compared with those fed on diets containing rye bran, that greater improvement in apparent fat absorption occurred after water soaking of rye flour than similarly treating rye bran and that the effects were greater soon after initiation of the feeding of the rye diets as compared with the later part of the feeding trial.