Evaluating Fresh Duckweed (Lemna minor) as a Sustainable Alternative Feed for Broiler Chickens: Implications for Poultry Production

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of fresh duckweed (Lemna minor)
supplementation on the growth performance of broiler chickens as a potential sustainable alternative feed resource. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was employed, consisting of four treatments with three replications, where each replicate contained four birds, totaling 48 broilers. The treatments included a control group and varying levels of fresh duckweed supplementation (low, moderate, and high). Growth performance parameters measured were initial weight, final weight, weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion efficiency (FCE). Data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at a 5% level of significance. Results revealed no significant differences (p > 0.05) among treatments for all measured parameters, indicating that duckweed supplementation did not adversely affect broiler performance. However, birds under moderate inclusion levels exhibited higher numerical values in final weight and weight gain, suggesting a potential optimal inclusion level. Feed intake and feed conversion efficiency were comparable across treatments, demonstrating that duckweed did not negatively influence feed utilization.
These findings highlight the potential of fresh duckweed as a locally available, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable feed ingredient. The study supports the integration of duckweed into poultry production systems, particularly in resource-limited settings, while recommending further research on nutrient standardization, inclusion levels, and longterm performance evaluation to optimize its utilization.