Chemical Composition of Whole Body, Tissues, and Organs of Young Chickens (Gallus domesticus)

Male and female chicks (Gallus domesticus) were fed a corn-soybean meal diet from hatching to d-22 post-hatching, after which the chicks were killed and then dissected for tissue analysis of dry matter, protein, amino acids, lipid, Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn content. The skin and feathers, muscle (red muscle and white muscle), and bone accounted for more than 70% of the body weight and contained greater than 80% of the total body protein and dry matter. These tissues also contained most of the body stores of Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn, while liver also contained a substantial portion of Fe, Cu, and Mn. White muscle was substantially lower than red muscle in dry matter, lipid, Fe, Zn, and Mn content, but contained a higher proportion of protein. Whole-body Mn concentration was 4 times higher in chickens than that reported for humans. Muscle and bone accounted for 55% of whole-body Zn in chickens, which is lower than the estimated 90% contribution of these tissues to whole-body Zn in humans.