1973 Volume 10 Issue 6 Pages 247-253
Available energy of 2 samples of n-paraffin, Sample 1 mainly composed of n-paraffin of carbon chain length of 11 to 13, and the other Sample 2 mainly composed of n-paraffin of 14 to 16 carbon, were determined by 7-point slope ratio bioassay procedure feeding experimental diets to total 100 male and 100 female meat-type 7-day-old chicds for 6 days. Since 92% of Sample 1 and 17% of Sample 2 in the diets were found lost by evaporation during the experimental period, available energy was estimated with and without correction for the loss. The loss of the samples in the diet was confirmed by weighing the diets daily using a balance measurable to 0.01g.
Available energy of Sample 1 corrected for loss by evaporation was estimated to be 2.5kcal/g, corresponding to 22% of gross energy of Sample 1. However, it was discussed that the figure will be higher than the true value. Available energy of Sample 2 was negligible. With thess findings together with the finding of larger loss by evaporation of n-paraffin with shorter carbon chain length, possibility of using n-paraffin as energy source for poultry will be low from economical view point.
Though nitrogen-corrected metabolizable energy of the samples was determined in this experiment, the data are unreliable since loss of the sample by evaporation took place from both diet and excreta.