Allometric Growth Patterns of Native Chickens Supplemented with Fermented Papaya Seed and Dragon Fruit Peel Extracts in Drinking Water
Abstract
Native chickens are widely raised in Indonesia due to their adaptability, distinctive meat characteristics, and economic value. However, their growth performance is generally lower than that of commercial broiler chickens, creating a need for natural feed additives to improve productivity. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of fermented papaya seed (Carica papaya) and dragon fruit peel (Hylocereus spp.) extracts administered through drinking water on the allometric growth patterns of native chickens. A completely randomized design consisting of four treatments and five replications was employed. The treatments included drinking water without fermented extract (P0), drinking water supplemented with 4% fermented papaya seed extract (P1), 4% fermented dragon fruit peel extract (P2), and a combination of 2% fermented papaya seed extract and 2% fermented dragon fruit peel extract (P3). Body weight and morphometric parameters, including neck length, body length, wing length, upper thigh length, lower thigh length, shank length, chest width, and chest circumference, were measured and analyzed using a power regression model (Y = aXᵇ) to determine relative growth coefficients. The results showed that the correlation coefficient (r) ranged from 0.622 to 0.956, indicating strong to very strong relationships between body weight and morphometric traits across all treatments. All observed parameters showed relative growth coefficient values of b < 1, indicating negative allometric growth patterns. The combination treatment (P3) tended to produce the highest body weight compared to the other treatments, suggesting improved nutrient utilization efficiency and growth performance. In conclusion, supplementation with fermented papaya seed and dragon fruit peel extracts through drinking water influenced the growth performance of native chickens while maintaining negative allometric growth patterns in body morphometric development.
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Introduction
Native chickens are one of the most important local poultry commodities in Indonesia due to their adaptability, distinctive meat characteristics, and stable economic value. In addition to being widely preferred by consumers, native chickens are commonly raised under traditional or semi-intensive farming systems because they require relatively simple management and are more resistant to environmental stress than commercial broiler chickens. However, compared with modern broiler strains, native chickens generally exhibit slower growth rates and lower production efficiency, which limits their productivity and commercial potential. Therefore, alternative nutritional strategies are needed to improve their growth performance in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner [1].
The utilization of agricultural by-products as natural feed additives has recently attracted considerable attention in poultry production. Among these by-products, papaya seeds (Carica papaya) and dragon fruit peel (Hylocereus spp.) possess significant potential due to their nutritional and bioactive compound contents. Papaya seeds contain protein, essential fatty acids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and papain enzymes that may improve digestive efficiency and inhibit pathogenic microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract [2]. Meanwhile, dragon fruit peel is rich in dietary fiber, anthocyanins, polyphenols, and natural antioxidants that can support physiological health and reduce oxidative stress in poultry [3]. These compounds are considered beneficial as phytogenic feed additives capable of enhancing nutrient utilization and growth performance in chickens.
Conclusion
Supplementation of fermented papaya seed (Carica papaya) and dragon fruit peel (Hylocereus spp.) extracts through drinking water influenced the growth performance of native chickens and showed strong relationships between body weight and body morphometric traits. All observed morphometric parameters exhibited negative allometric growth patterns (b < 1), indicating that body morphometric development occurred more slowly than body weight gain. The combination treatment consisting of 2% fermented papaya seed extract and 2% fermented dragon fruit peel extract tended to provide better growth performance compared with the other treatments. Therefore, fermented papaya seed and dragon fruit peel extracts have potential as natural phytogenic additives for improving the growth performance of native chickens.
References
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