An analysis on native chicken meat production in Malaysia: the development of chicken growth performance, feed efficiency and profitability framework based on different diet systems

Wong, Yuen Hwa (2025) An analysis on native chicken meat production in Malaysia: the development of chicken growth performance, feed efficiency and profitability framework based on different diet systems. PhD thesis, UTAR.

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Abstract

In Malaysia, the poultry industry is a fundamental pillar of livestock production, contributing significantly to the nation’s agricultural economy. This study focuses on the native chicken production, a sector gaining increasing attention due to its lower fat content, enriched Omega-3 composition and highly regarded flavour profile. However, native chicken rearing is characterized by longer production cycles compared to conventional broilers. Additionally, the poultry industry in Malaysia faced significant challenges following the pandemic, with escalating chicken feed costs impacting production profitability. To address these issues, optimizing feed strategies becomes essential to reduce production costs and mitigate risks associated with currency fluctuations for imported feeds, ultimately bolstering the prospects of local poultry farmers. The general objective of this study is to develop a framework of chicken growth performance, feed efficiency and profitability for native chicken meat production based on different diet feed systems in Malaysia with four Specific Objectives: (1) to describe the different diet feed systems for native chicken meat production; (2) to determine the feed efficiency of the six (6) different diet feed systems based on the cumulative voluntary feed intake (CVFI); cumulative weight gain (CWG); average daily gain (AVG) and feed conversion efficiency ratio (FCE) for the native chicken meat production; (3) to analyse the relationship among the six (6) different diet feed systems, chicken age and body weight for native chicken meat production; and (4) to examine the profit level using the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of the six (6) different diet feed systems for the native chicken meat production. To carry out this research, the study was conducted at Bintang Maju Agri Chicken Farm in Semenyih, Malaysia, involving the utilization of six (6) different diet feed systems. These encompass (1) Premium Starter Feed in 50kg pack (as control feed) (2) 5% Pokok Ketum Ayam (Trichanthera Gigantean) mixed into Premium Starter Feed (3) 5% Protein Larva Askar Hitam (BSFL) mixed into Premium Starter Feed (4) 200g Crude Palm Kernel Oil (CPKO) mixed into 50kg Premium Starter Feed (5) 100g Organic Acid mixed into 50kg Premium Starter Feed and (6) 100g Yellow Pigment (Brand: SK Gold) mixed into 50kg Premium Starter Feed. A total of 300 chickens, distributed across these six diet systems, underwent two production cycles, each spanning 84 days or 12 weeks. The study comprised four fundamental phases. Initially, the selection of diet feed systems was grounded in a comprehensive literature review and consultation with poultry farmer and feed providers. Subsequently, feed efficiency was meticulously assessed using various parameters, including cumulative voluntary feed intake (CVFI), cumulative weight gain (CWG), average daily gain (AVG) and feed conversion efficiency ratio (FCE). Following this, quantitative analyses, employing regression and panel data techniques via Eviews 12.0 software, were carried out to elucidate the relationships between the diet feed systems, chicken age and body weight. Finally, profitability was gauged through the benefit-cost ratio (BCR), involving a comparison of revenue and production costs. The study’s findings revealed that diet feed system 6 (Yellow Pigment), consistently emerged as the top performer, yielding the highest growth performance across the study’s parameters. Simultaneously, diet feed system 5 (Organic Acid) and diet feed system 6 exhibited the highest feed efficiency, with FCE ratio of 2.469 to 2.533. The panel data analyses revealed noteworthy insights: diet feed systems 5 and 6 exhibited significant positive relationships with chicken body weight, suggesting a favourable impact on growth (p<0.05). Conversely, diet feed systems 3 (Protein Larva Askar Hitam) displayed a significant negative relationship with chicken body weight, compared among all diet feed systems (p<0.05). For profitability, all diet feed systems demonstrated better profitability compared to diet feed system 1 (control feed), that is with benefit-cost ratio exceeding that of the control feed. Diet feed system 6 stood out as the most cost-effective choice over two production cycles spanning 12 weeks with benefit-cost ratio of 1.38 to 1.40. The study highlights the importance of strategic feed formulation in boosting poultry growth, improving feed efficiency and maximizing profitability — critical elements for scaling up sustainable and competitive native chicken meat production. The findings of this study offer clear, actionable insights for poultry farmers, feed manufacturers and agri-entrepreneurs seeking to improve production efficiency and profitability using diet feed system 6 (Yellow Pigment) and diet feed system 5 (Organic Acid). Keywords: Native chicken meat production, chicken growth performance, feed efficiency, profitability, diet feed systems Subject Area: SF94.5-99 Feeds and Feeding

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