Influence of Dietary Fermented Coffee Cherry Pulp on Growth Performance, Meat Quality, and Cecal Microbiota in Thai Native Chickens

Coffee cherry pulp is an abundant by-product of coffee processing and contains bioactive compounds with potential value in animal nutrition. This study evaluated fermented coffee cherry pulp (CCF) as a feed additive in Thai native chickens. Five hundred day-old chicks were randomly allocated to five treatments: basal diet (CON), antibiotic growth promoter (AGP), and basal diets supplemented with 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 g/kg CCF for 12 weeks. Supplementation with 1.0 g/kg CCF significantly increased final body weight and average daily gain and significantly improved feed conversion ratio compared with the basal diet (p < 0.05). Serum triglyceride levels were significantly reduced in the CCF1.0 and CCF2.0 groups (p < 0.05), while liver and kidney function indicators were not affected. Cooking loss was significantly lower in CCF-supplemented groups, and thigh muscle crude protein content was significantly higher at 0.5 and 1.0 g/kg (p < 0.05). Alpha diversity of cecal microbiota was not significantly altered, but directional shifts in community composition were observed, including enrichment of short-chain fatty acid-associated genera. Functional prediction indicated differences in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolic pathways. These results support fermented coffee cherry pulp as a potential alternative to antibiotic growth promoters in native chicken production.