Replacement of fish meal with suckermouth armored catfish and its effect on performance and intestinal morphology of indigenous Thai Chicken

Abstract

© 2020, Pakistan Agricultural Scientists Forum. All rights reserved. Two hundred, one-day old Thai native chickens were investigated for the effects of growth performance and intestinal morphology, when replacing their fish meal (FM) with suckermouth armored catfish (Pterygoplichthys pardalis) meal (PPM) in diets. Experimental groups were fed ad libitum; the basal diet with 100% FM (control), and the basal diet with PPM 25% (T1), 50% (T2), 75% (T3), and 100% (T4). Twenty chickens (4 chickens per each group) were euthanized and small intestinal tissues were collected in order to determine the morphology. From 1-84 days of age; chickens in the control, T1, T2, T3, and T4 groups presented no significant differences (P>0.05) in growth performances (average daily feed intake, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio). However, villus height, and villus height per crypt depth ratio were greatest in duodenal, jejunal, and ileal tissue segments of chickens in the T1 group (P ≤0.05). Our preferred interpretation is that PPM can may be used to replace FM in chicken diet without any adverse impacts on growth performance. Moreover, our results demonstrate that replacement of FM with PPM can be improved intestinal lumen health, as indicated by villus height.