Experimental Analysis of Body Weight Performance and Different Diet Feed Systems for the Native Chicken Meat Production in Malaysia

Abstract

A key factor in deciding whether a chicken farm is profitable is the weight. Native chicken meat is favoured for its deliciousness, relatively low-fat content, and low-cholesterol flesh. However, in the past few years, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become the biggest threat to public health worldwide. AMR could develop as a consequence of the irrational and improper use of antibiotics in the commercial poultry industry. This is due to a lack of understanding, and, still, many animal feed dealers and drug suppliers advise farmers to use antimicrobials in chicken production. Therefore, this study aims to analyse the body weight performance using the selected three different diet feed systems, including Antibiotic-free products (AFP) and the cost-benefit analysis of native chicken meat production in Malaysia. Primary data were collected from Full Nature Fresh Chicken Farm over 14 weeks (1 June 2025 to 31 August 2025), involving three feeding treatments: (T1) normal control feed, (T2) normal feed supplemented with 5–10% Pokok Ketum Ayam (Trichanthera leaf meal), and (T3) normal feed supplemented with 5–10% Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL). First, the study employed simple linear regression analysis to estimate the impact of different feed treatment systems on chicken body weight. In addition to econometric analysis, a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) was conducted to evaluate the economic viability of each feeding system. They are including Diet Systems 1 (Premium Starter Feed), 2 (Premium Starter Feed + 5%–10% Trichanthera Leaf Meal), and 3 (Premium Starter Feed + 5%–10% Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) (Betsol), and 50 chickens per diet system were analysed in 2025. The findings are helpful for food safety, increasing productivity and production costs to meet the increased population demand. This also helps to achieve the goal of no poverty of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-1) and hunger (SDG-2) for future development. Overall, the study concludes that sustainable poultry production depends on the balance between biological growth performance and economic efficiency.