Effects of Graded Inclusion Levels of Eleusine indica Seeds on Growth Performance and Feed Utilization of Indigenous Chickens

With the increasing cost of conventional feed ingredients, this study evaluated the potential of Eleusine indica seeds as an alternative feed resource for native chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus). Nutritional analysis revealed that Eleusine indica seeds contain a high level of dietary fiber (37.1%) and essential minerals, but exhibit a moderate metabolizable energy (ME) content of 2355 kcal/kg of dry matter. An eight-week feeding trial was conducted using 57 indigenous chickens randomly assigned to four experimental diets containing graded inclusion levels of Eleusine indica seeds (0%, 10%, 20%, 40%) in indigenous chickens. The experimental diets were formulated to achieve comparable crude protein contents but were not isoenergetic, as the objective was to evaluate the nutritional and zootechnical effects of increasing levels of Eleusine indica seed incorporation under practical feeding conditions. Growth performance parameters, including feed intake, average daily gain (ADG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR), were monitored. The diet containing 10% Eleusine indica seeds yielded the highest growth performance, with an ADG of 17.4 g/day, exceeding that of the control diet. However, higher inclusion levels (20% and 40%) led to reduced growth; this limitation is primarily attributed to the elevated crude fiber content and the resulting decrease in energy density of the diets, which hindered efficient nutrient assimilation. The 10% inclusion level resulted in higher feed intake and average daily gain, although feed conversion ratio did not differ significantly among dietary treatments (p > 0.05). These results indicate that moderate incorporation of Eleusine indica seeds (10%) may represent a promising feeding strategy to enhance the productivity of indigenous chickens while promoting the utilization of locally available feed resources.