Malikil Kudus Susalam, Sri Mutiar, Heppy Setya Prima, R. Rusfidra, Fajri Maulana, Fadhli Fajri
The continuous increase in global broiler chicken production demands the availability of efficient, sustainable, and economical feed mineral sources. Calcium (Ca) is an essential mineral for bone growth, metabolism, and production performance, but the industry’s dependence on conventional Ca sources such as limestone presents cost and sustainability challenges. Eggshells, which contain approximately 94–95% calcium carbonate, have the potential to be an alternative source of Ca and a solution for food waste management. This study aimed to evaluate the optimal inclusion level of eggshell meal in broiler diets and its effects on production performance. A total of 100 broiler chickens were used in a completely randomized design, with dietary treatments as follows: F1 (basal diet + 0% eggshell powder), F2 (basal diet + 4% eggshell powder), F3 (basal diet + 8% eggshell powder), and F4 (basal diet + 10% eggshell powder). The parameters measured included body weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), carcass percentage, cooking loss, water-holding capacity, pH, and meat tenderness. The results indicated that supplementation with 8% eggshell powder produced the most favorable outcomes, significantly (p < 0.05) improving body weight gain, FCR, carcass percentage, cooking loss, water-holding capacity, pH, and tenderness compared to the control group. In conclusion, the inclusion of eggshell powder at 8% in broiler diets can be recommended as an optimal level to enhance growth performance and meat quality traits. © 2026 by the authors. Licensee ResearchersLinks Ltd, England, UK.
Department of Agroindustry, Study Program of Animal Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Padang, Sijunjung, Indonesia; Agricultural Industrial Technology Study Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, Science and Technology, Dharma Andalas University, Padang, Indonesia; Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan, North Sumatra, Medan, Indonesia; Department of Technology and Livestock Production, Faculty of Animal Science, Universitas Andalas, Padang, 25163, Indonesia; Department of Agricultural Industrial Technology, Study Program of Animal Feed Technology, Politeknik Negeri Tanah Laut, Tanah Laut, 70815, Indonesia
