Improta et al., 2001. Livest. Res. Rural Develop., 13 (1): impr131

Quinoa is a cereal grain that originated in the highlands of South America. It is high in protein (12.2% Crude Protein (CP)), and in the limiting amino acids lysine and methionine. It also contains a number of anti-nutritional substances, such as saponins, phytic acid, tannins and trypsin inhibitors, which can have a negative effect on performance and survival of monogastric animals when it is used as the primary dietary energy source. Four trials were conducted to determine what effect different methods of processing quinoa (raw, washed, polished) and dietary CP levels would have on the performance and survival of broiler chicks fed quinoa as compared to wheat, maize and sorghum based diets. Raw quinoa fed broilers had reduced growth and dramatically reduced survival rates as compared to the washed or polished treatments. Broilers fed washed quinoa performed better than those fed polished quinoa.  Chicks receiving the washed quinoa performed nearly as well as those receiving the maize/soybean meal diets. The washing seemed to be  more effective than removing the outer hull (polishing) in removing the anti-quality factors that were depressing performance. Elevating the dietary protein level from (13.2 to 18 to 23 %) was shown to improve growth and survival in the quinoa-fed groups. The results of these trials indicated that washing and polishing the quinoa seeds prior to feeding and increasing the dietary CP or slightly reducing the amount of quinoa present in the diet, by adding soybean meal, improved growth and survival of broiler chicks.