The effect on 7-d-old Bovans chicks of 10 or 2% Linum usitatissimum seed in their basal diet for 6 w was determined. The feeding of either Linum-seed diet caused a significant increase in growth rate in spite of the development of centrilobular hepatocyte fatty vacuolation and an inflammatory cell response in the intestinal lamina propria and renal cortex. These effects were correlated with alterations in some hepatorenal function and hematology parameters.