Performance and digestibility of low initial body of weight broilers fed infertile egg powder

Abstract

Infertile egg powder (IEP) is an alternative feed ingredient that is rich in protein and derived from hatchery waste. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of incorporating IEP into the diets of low initial body weight broilers on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, ammonia emissions, and footpad health. A completely randomized design (CRD) was employed with three treatments: low-weight DOC on a basal diet (T0), normal-weight day-old chick (DOC) on a basal diet (T1), and low-weight DOC on a basal diet supplemented with 4% IEP (T2), each with eight replications. Results showed that T2 broilers had significantly higher body weight gain, final body weight, cumulative feed intake, and performance index compared to T1 and T0 throughout both starter and finisher phases (P < 0.05). Crude protein and fat digestibility were also significantly improved in T2. However, no significant differences were observed in feed conversion ratio (FCR) across treatments. Furthermore, T2 exhibited the highest litter ammonia concentration among the experimental groups. The study concluded that IEP can effectively enhance growth and nutrient utilization in underweight broilers, offering a sustainable solution for optimizing poultry production, provided that environmental management practices are concurrently improved.