Effects of Carica Papaya Leaves and Fermented Fish Waste on the Production Performance of Broiler Chickens

Introduction: Poultry feed management requires novel dietary additives to enhance chicken performance and manage feed availability. The present study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of Carica papaya leaf meal (CPL) and fermented fish waste (FFW) in water on different growth indicators, such as body weight, carcass yield, feed intake, and conversion rate of Bovans brown male broiler chickens. Materials and methods: A randomized complete block design with a 2x4 factorial arrangement was used to study the effect of the combination supplementation of the 10% CPL with FW at 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%.  Both additives combination treatment was replicated four times with five broiler chicks per replication, a total of 160-day-old male Bovans brown broilers with 39-40g body weight were used in the current study. The duration of the study was 20 days (from the 16th to 35th days of age). Results: Studies have revealed that CPL negatively impacted the final body weight, whereas FFW positively influenced feed intake, final weight, and weight gain. Moreover, 15% of FFW supplementation resulted in noteworthy increases in drumstick and thigh weights compared to the control group, with significant interactions identified between CPL and FFW for breast, wing, and back weights. However, neither CPL nor FFW had an impact on the weights of edible visceral organs. The palatability of meat quality assessment showed no significant difference among the treatments. Adding CPL and FFW increased weights and profits, with the best rate of intake observed in broilers given the standard diet plus 15% of FFW supplementation. Conclusion: These results indicated that using CPL and FFW at 10% and 15%, respectively was a financially feasible approach to improve broiler development, carcass quality, and profitability while capitalizing on nutritional advantages and reducing environmental waste.