PROFITABILITY AND POTENTIAL OF PAPAYA LEAF EXTRACT AS PRETREATMENT IN FEEDS DURING THE EARLY GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF PHILIPPINE NATIVE CHICKENS

Abstract

Feeds given to native chickens are characterized by low protein, available minerals and vitamins, and low palatability and digestibility. Aside from the feed wastage during feeding, the undigested portion and unutilized protein of feeds are excreted through the feces, which has been a long-time challenge for the poultry industry. This study aimed to assess the profitability and effects of papaya leaf extract (PLE) as pretreatment in feeds, and to determine its impact on feed utilization and early growth performance in Philippine native chickens.  A completely randomized design was used, with four treatments and four replicates. The experimental treatments were: pure commercial feeds (control; T0); commercial feeds + 5% PLE + 50 h incubation (T1); commercial feeds + 10% PLE + 50 h incubation (T2); and commercial feeds + 15% PLE + 50 h incubation (T3). Significant differences (p<0.01) were found in terms of cumulative voluntary feed intake during the early growth stage , with T3 recording the highest intake throughout the feeding trial period. Similarly, weekly cumulative weight gain and body weight reached the highest values in T3. Although the feed conversion ratio was not significant, the profitability analysis revealed that birds fed with T3 yielded the highest profit with Php 97.92, while T0 was the least profitable, with Php 81.51. The obtained results revealed that when the percentage of crude protein (CP) decreases and the percentage of moisture increases, it could likely indicate that PLE may have pre-digested the crude protein in the feeds, breaking it down into individual amino acids. This study provides insights into the potential of PLE as a pretreatment on feeds to maximize the utilization of nutrients for increased growth and profits in Philippine native chicken production.