Effect of partial replacing of wheat by sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) fruit residues in broiler diets on performance and skin pigmentation

Background: Improving poultry products is a constant research topic as the poultry industry aims to provide healthy products to consumers at economic prices and achieve financial profits for breeders. Therefore, recent research has resorted to finding cheap natural sources as alternatives to traditional feed and antibiotics. Aim: The experiment was conducted to study the effects of sea buckthorn fruit residues meal on broilers' performance and skin pigmentation. Method: A total of 700 broiler chicks (ROSS 308) were allotted into two groups, and each group comprises 350 birds divided into 10 replicants, 35 birds to each replicant. The experimental group was fed diets where 15% of the wheat was replaced by sea buckthorn residues meal. The control group was fed diets without any color additive. Feed and water were provided ad-libitum. Results: The sea buckthorn fruit residues contained 21% crude protein and metabolisable energy calculated was 9.88 MJ/kg. The live body weight was significantly lower than the experimental group (p < 0.05) on days 14 and 28. The feed conversion ratio was significantly poorer in the experimental group compared with the control group on days 35 of age (p < 0.05). The mortality was higher in the experimental group than in the control group. The DSM Broiler Fan assessed skin color. The skin of the broilers was significantly more yellowish in the experimental group than the control group (103.08 vs. 102.38 scales). The pigmentation of the skin was higher in males than females. Conclusion: The use of sea buckthorn residues in poultry feeding negatively affected the overall performance rate. Mightily, its use in diets depends mainly on the price of feed ingredients. Thus, improving the skin color and biological value of broiler meat can determine its usefulness in broiler feed.