Abstract
Effects of dietary cellulose and protein levels on nutrient utilization in chickens were investigated. Four experimental diets containing 5% (low cellulose) or 20% (high cellulose) cellulose in combination with 10% (low protein) or 20% (high protein) protein of 70 g/day were alternatively forced-fed to eight colostomized White Leghorn cockerels once a day to make $4{\times}4$ Latin-square design. The digestibilities of DM and energy decreased with the increase in cellulose level, but not affected by dietary protein level. Ether extract digestibility was higher in the high cellulose diets than in the low cellulose protein level. Ether extract digestibility was higher in the high cellulose diets than in the low cellulose diets. The digestibility of nitrogen free extract had the same trend with the digestibility of DM and energy. The digestibility of acid detergent fiber was not so much different among the diets, but the NDF digestibility was lower in the high cellulose diets than in the low cellulose diets, due to the low hemicellulose digestibility. The true digestibility of protein was influenced by both of the dietary protein and cellulose levels, and their interaction was found. The dietary protein level affected the biological value of protein but the dietary cellulose level did not, and consequently the biological value of protein in the low protein diets was lower than in the high protein diets.