Impact of Utilization of Brown Seaweed Sargassum crassifolium in Broilers Diet as a Substitution of Traditional Feed Ingredients

Abstract

Due to increasing trend in prices of traditional feed ingredients, researchers are exploring marine resources as a novel cheap substitutions for poultry industry. This study aims to determine the effect of partial replacement of traditional feed ingredients like corn and rice bran with brown seaweed Sargassum crassifolium on broiler performance. The study employed a fully randomized design, incorporating four replacement treatments (0%, 6%, 12%, and 18%) of brown seaweed Sargassum crassifolium within the broiler diet. Each treatment was replicated five times. A total of 100-day-old chicks were used in the experiment and reared under standard conditions. The results showed that inclusion of brown seaweed Sargassum crassifolium up to 18% in broiler diet did not affect (p>0.05) daily feed intake, daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio, live weight, carcass percentage with skin and without skin; however, it significantly (p<0.05) reduced the abdominal fat pad percentage of broiler. In conclusion, the inclusion of brown seaweed Sargassum crassifolium in the broiler diet up to 18% reduces corn utilization by 24.49% and rice bran by 54.45% at the starter period and reduces corn up to 21% and rice bran by 50% at the grower period without interfering with their performance.