Performance, prime cut, abdominal fat and meat quality of broiler chickens on diets supplemented with dried powdered spices and tomato fruit

Abstract

Improving broiler growth and meat quality remains an important focus in poultry production. This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of dried powdered spices and tomato fruit on growth performance, carcass yield and meat quality of broiler chickens. A total of 225 one-day-old Ross chicks were assigned to five dietary treatments: T1, basal diet (BD); T2, BD + black pepper powder (BPP); T3, BD + tomato fruit powder (TFP); T4, BD + ginger powder (GNP); and T5, BD + chili pepper powder (CPP) and fed for six weeks using a completely randomised design experiment. Birds on BD treatment had higher (P<0.05) final body weight, greater weight gain and more efficient feed conversion than those on other treatments. Breast meat yield was higher (P<0.05) in BD and BPP than in other treatments. BD birds also had higher pH, while waterholding capacity was greater in TFP and CPP than in other treatments. Overall, birds on BPP treatment had superior sensory attributes compared with . In conclusion, supplementing broiler diet with dried powdered spices and tomato fruits significantly enhanced growth performance and meat quality, highlighting the potential of these additives for optimizing poultry nutrition and product quality