Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1995 Feb;74(2):366-73.
doi: 10.3382/ps.0740366.

Digestion and absorption in the young chick

Affiliations
Free article

Digestion and absorption in the young chick

Y Noy et al. Poult Sci. 1995 Feb.
Free article

Abstract

Digestion, enzyme secretion and intestinal rate of passage were determined in broiler chicks from hatch until 21 d using 141Ce as a nonabsorbed reference substance. Body weight and feed intake increased more rapidly after 10 d posthatch, and, in parallel, time of passage of feed through the intestines decreased by approximately 33%. Net duodenal secretion of amylase, trypsin, and lipase was low at 4 d and increased 100-, 50-, and 20-fold, respectively, by 21 d. Enzyme activity decreased distally in the small intestine. This change was greater with age. The contribution of the ileum to fatty acid absorption decreased after 7 d. Small intestine digestion of nitrogen increased from 78% at 4 d to 92% at 21 d, whereas fatty acid and starch digestion ranged from 82 to 89% in this period. It appears that digestibilities of starch and lipids are not limiting factors in the growth of young chicks.

PubMed Disclaimer

LinkOut - more resources