Evaluation of Empty Palm Fruit Bunches as a Dietary Filler on the Growth Performance and Digestive Tract Development of Broiler Chickens

Abstract

Dietary fiber has been widely recognized for its beneficial effects on poultry performance, particularly in enhancing feed efficiency and maintaining digestive health in broiler chickens. However, the utilization of conventional fiber sources remains limited due to their high cost and reliance on imports. This study aimed to evaluate the potential use of empty palm fruit bunches (EPFB), a by-product of the palm oil industry, as a locally available fiber source and to assess its effects on growth performance and gastrointestinal development in broilers. A total of 200 Cobb day-old chicks (DOCs) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments for 35 days: T0 (control diet without added fiber), T1 (control diet + 0.8% Arbocel^®), T2 (control diet + 0.8% EPFB), and T3 (control diet + 0.8% EPFB + enzyme cocktail). The inclusion of EPFB, either alone or combined with enzymes, did not significantly affect body weight gain, feed intake, or feed conversion ratio. Similarly, there were no significant differences in the relative weight or length of the gastrointestinal tract among treatments. These findings indicate that the inclusion of EPFB as a dietary fiber source has no adverse effects on the growth performance or gut development of broiler chickens and can serve as a potential alternative to commercial fiber sources.