Abstract
The influence of popping and flaking on the feed efficiency of wheat and maize was tested on 1-5 wk old chickens kept in individual cages. The diets contained the same levels of metabolizable energy (3110 kcal/kg), total crude protein (18%), lysine (0.94%) and sulfur amino acids (0.69%) and included about 75% maize or 50% wheat. The efficiency of maize was significantly higher than that of wheat in regard to growth of the animals, and the heat treatments had always an unfavorable action, more marked with wheat than with maize. These results can only be explained by taking into account the effect of the intense moist-heat treatments both on the carbohydrate and nitrogen fractions of the cereals.