Utilization of Marine Fungi as a Feed Additive on the Performance of Local Chickens’ Digestive Organs

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the utilization of marine fungi as feed additives on the performance of local chickens' digestive organs. This study used one hundred and eighty local chickens aged one day which were kept for 10 weeks and divided into five treatment groups and four replications. Chickens consumed treatment diets containing yellow maize, rice bran, soybean meal, fish meal, coconut meal, L-lysine, methionine, CaCO3, and added marine fungi. Chickens were slaughtered at 10 weeks old and digestive organs (liver, ventriculus, and small intestine) were collected and weighed to measure digestive organs' performance. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance by a completely randomized design. An orthogonal contrast test analyzed the significant effects of treatment diets on the parameters. This study showed that marine fungi significantly decreased feed consumption (P<0.05) without any declining digestive organ performance. It is suggested to add marine fungi extract to the local chicken diet as much as a 2 ml/kg ration.