Enhancing Immune Response in Local Chickens Using Fermented Snail Meat Hydrolysate Under Low-Protein Feeding Conditions
Ujang Suryadi *
Department of Animal Science, Politeknik Negeri Jember, Kabupaten Jember, Indonesia.
Rosa Tri Hertamawati
Department of Animal Science, Politeknik Negeri Jember, Kabupaten Jember, Indonesia.
Shokhirul Imam
Department of Animal Science, Politeknik Negeri Jember, Kabupaten Jember, Indonesia.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Protein is a critical component in poultry diets, essential for growth, muscle development, and overall production efficiency. However, high protein consumption causes a low protein efficiency ratio and causes feed prices to be high.
Objective: This study aimed to investigate how fermented snail meat hydrolysate modulates both the production performance and immune systems of local chickens.
Materials and Methods: The research used snail meat hydrolysate resulting from submerged fermentation with starter culture from rice washing water. Using hydrolysates as a fishmeal substitute to reduce the protein content of male local chicken diets. Hydrolysate is mixed into the formulated ration: P0 = 12% fish meal in feed without hydrolysate added, P1 = 8% fish meal in feed plus 5 ml hydrolysate/kg feed; P2 = 4% fish meal in feed plus 10 ml hydrolysate/kg feed; and P3 = Feed without fish meal plus 15 ml hydrolysate/kg feed. The study used completely randomised study parameters, namely the production performance of 200 chickens and the immune system (including lymphoid organs and haematological status) of 60 chickens.
Results: Incorporating fermented snail meat hydrolysate into chicken feed in place of fish meal showed variable effects on production performance. Feed consumption remained statistically unchanged (p > 0.05) across treatments, indicating that replacing fish meal with snail meat hydrolysate did not affect feed intake. Substituting fish meal with 10 ml/kg of snail meat hydrolysate also had no significant effect (p > 0.05) on final body weight gain. These findings suggest that snail meat hydrolysate (10 ml/kg) can replace the reduction in the use of fish meal from 12% to 4% in ration formulation without reducing production performance and has no negative effect on the immune system.
Conclusion: Snail meat hydrolysate has the potential to be used as an immune antibiotic to replace the use of fishmeal in the development of low-protein dietary formulations without affecting production performance or negatively affecting the chicken's immune system.
Keywords: Fermentation, lymph, production, protein, snail