Effects of Fungal Bioconversion of Azolla-Enriched Diets on Nutritional Quality and Economic Efficiency in ZamPen Native Chicken

Abstract

Rising feed prices have driven interest in local feed alternatives, even though these typically offer lower nutritional quality than standard commercial feeds. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of an Azolla-enriched diet fermented with and without Pleurotus (P.) ostreatus on nutrient composition, growth performance, and economic efficiency in ZamPen native chickens. A 4 × 2 factorial experiment under a completely randomized design with 8 treatments and three replications was conducted using 168 two-month-old straight-run ZamPen chickens with an average weight of 665 g. Treatments consisted of 8 diets containing 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% Azolla, with and without P. ostreatus fermentation. Results of nutrient analysis indicated that the fermented Azolla-enriched diet influenced crude protein, ash, and metabolizable energy compared to the non-fermented Azolla-enriched diet. Increasing Azolla levels increased crude protein content, moisture, fats, and metabolizable energy at 15%, 10%, and 5%, respectively, compared to 0% Azolla. Growth performance, including final body weight, weight gain, and feed conversion efficiency, was not significantly affected by the Azolla-enriched diet. However, feed consumption decreased significantly with increasing Azolla levels (10% and 15%), with animals consuming less feed than those fed 0% Azolla. Fermentation affected weight gain and feed conversion ratio, with non-fermented diets resulting in greater weight gain and better feed conversion than fermented diets. Significant interactions between Azolla and fermentation were observed for final body weight, feed conversion ratio, and feed conversion efficiency. Economic analysis revealed significant reductions in feed cost and total production cost at 10% and 15% Azolla, while gross sales, net income, and return on investment were not significantly affected compared to 0% Azolla. Fermentation with or without P. ostreatus did not affect economic performance, and no interaction of Azolla and fermentation was observed. These results suggested that Azolla can be incorporated up to 15% in native chicken diets as a cost-effective alternative feed ingredient without compromising performance. In addition, fermentation with P. ostreatus increased the moisture and fat contents of the diets and improved final body weight, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio, but reduced crude protein and ash contents.