Agricultural and Biological Research

Effects of Dietary Natural Alternatives to Antibiotic Growth Promoters on Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics, Meat Quality of ZamPen Native Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus)

Emelyn D. Tormes*

The increasing restrictions on the use of Antibiotic Growth Promoters (AGPs) in poultry production have intensified the search for sustainable and natural feed additives that can maintain productivity while improving food safety. This study evaluated the effects of selected locally available phytobiotics as alternatives to AGPs on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, visceral traits, meat sensory attributes, intestinal Salmonella prevalence, and economic performance of ZamPen native chickens. A randomized complete block design experiment using seventy-five ZamPen native chickens allocated to five dietary treatments: water-soluble antibiotic (control), guyabano (Annona muricata) leaf powder, moringa (Moringa oleifera) leaf powder, chili (Capsicum frutescens) powder, and turmeric (Curcuma longa) powder, each replicated three times. Growth performance, carcass yield, visceral organ characteristics, meat sensory quality, intestinal Salmonella detection, and Return Above Feed Cost (RAFC) were evaluated over a 60-day feeding period. Phytobiotic supplementation produced growth performance comparable with the conventional antibiotic treatment. Carcass characteristics, visceral measurements, and sensory attributes were likewise maintained across treatments, suggesting that phytobiotics did not adversely affect meat quality. Moreover, locally available phytobiotics demonstrated potential economic advantages by reducing dependence on antibiotic feed additives while sustaining production efficiency. These findings indicate that moringa, turmeric, guyabano, and chili powders are promising natural alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters in ZamPen native chicken production and may contribute to more sustainable and antibiotic-free poultry production systems.