Evaluation of empty palm fruit bunches as a dietary filler on the growth performance and digestive tract development of broiler chickens

¹ Graduate School of Nutrition and Feed Science, IPB University, Jalan Raya Dramaga, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
² Department of Nutrition and Feed Technology, IPB University, Jalan Raya Dramaga, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
³ Center for Tropical Animal Studies, IPB University, Kampus IPB Baranangsiang, Jl Pajajaran, Bogor 16153, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Dietary fiber has been widely recognized for its beneficial effects on poultry performance, particularly in improving feed efficiency and maintaining digestive health in broiler chickens. However, the use of conventional fiber sources is often limited by high cost and dependence on imported materials. This research aimed to evaluate the potential of empty palm fruit bunches (EPFB), a by-product of the palm oil industry, as a locally available dietary fiber source and to assess its effects on growth performance and gastrointestinal development in broilers. A total of 200 Cobb day-old chicks were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments for 35 days: T0 (control diet without added fiber), T1 (control diet supplemented with 0.8% Arbocel®), T2 (control diet supplemented with 0.8% EPFB), and T3 (control diet supplemented 0.8% EPFB plus an enzyme cocktail). The inclusion of EPFB, either alone or in combination with enzymes, had no significant effects on body weight gain, feed intake, or feed conversion ratio. Likewise, the relative weight and length of the gastrointestinal tract did not differ significantly among treatments. These findings indicate that EPFB can be safely incorporated at the tested level as a locally available dietary fiber source without negative impacts on broiler performance.