Effect of Fermented Dragon Fruit Peel Extract and Fermented Papaya Seeds in Drinking Water on Improving the Growth and Carcass Quality of Free-Range Native Chickens

Abstract— Free-range native chickens have considerable potential for growth and carcass production. However, their productivity often remains low, mainly due to limitations in feed quality and management practices. One promising approach to address this issue is the use of natural additives in drinking water, particularly those derived from agricultural by-products such as fermented dragon fruit peel and papaya seeds. These materials are rich in bioactive compounds and are environmentally friendly, making them attractive alternatives to synthetic additives. Previous studies have shown that phytobiotics and fermented products can improve nutrient digestibility and utilization in poultry. Nevertheless, information on the use of fermented dragon fruit peel and papaya seed extracts—either individually or in combination—on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, and offal yield of free-range native chickens is still limited. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of these fermented extracts when administered through drinking water. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with four treatments and five replications, involving a total of 200 native chickens reared under a free-range system. The treatments consisted of drinking water without extract (control, T0), drinking water supplemented with 4% fermented dragon fruit peel extract (T1), drinking water supplemented with 4% fermented papaya seed extract (T2), and drinking water containing a combination of 2% fermented dragon fruit peel extract and 2% fermented papaya seed extract (T3). Growth performance parameters observed included final body weight, weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio, while carcass traits included slaughter weight, carcass weight, carcass percentage, and internal and external offal percentages. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance, followed by Duncan's multiple range test when significant differences were detected. The results showed that supplementation with fermented dragon fruit peel extract, fermented papaya seed extract, or their combination significantly improved final body weight, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, slaughter weight, carcass weight, and carcass percentage compared to the control group. Final body weight ranged from 812.75 g (control) to 920.00 g (combination treatment), while carcass percentage increased from 64.29% (control) to 65.73% (combination treatment). In contrast, feed intake as well as internal and external offal percentages were not affected by the treatments. These findings indicate that fermented dragon fruit peel and papaya seed extracts, administered through drinking water, can be effectively used to enhance growth performance and carcass production of free-range native chickens.