The effects of de-hulled sunflower seed meal (SFM) samples with different crude protein (CP) and non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) content on apparent metabolizable energy (AME), AME metabolizability (EM) and pre-caecal protein digestibility (pcPD) were examined. The birds were fed one of four mash diets. On a per kilogram basis, the basal diet (BD) contained as major ingredients 549.5 g wheat, 150 g soybean meal and 175 g full fat soybean meal as well as 215.4 g crude protein kg^–1 and 12.81 MJ AME kg^–1. Another three diets containing 200 g kg^–1 of each of three experimental SFM samples in place of the BD were also mixed. Each diet was fed to birds in ten pens with two male Ross 308 broilers ranging in age from 8 to 21 days. Dietary AME was determined from excreta collection between days 17 and 21, while AME, EM and pcPD were determined when the birds were 21 days old. The substitutional method was used to determine AME, EM and pcPD in the SFM samples. The SFM samples high in NSP had lower AME (P = 0.001), EM (P < 0.001) and pcPD (P = 0.005). The beneficial effect of carrying out a further de-hulling of SFM seems to be mediated through reduced NSP content and improved energy and protein bioavailability.