Growth Performance of Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) Supplemented with Heat-Treated Mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) Sprouts

Abstract

This study evaluated the chemical composition of mungbean sprouts and the growth performance of broiler chickens supplemented with Heat-Treated Mungbean Sprouts (HTMS). A total of 48 birds were distributed into three treatments using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). Germination and heat treatment increased crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) contents but decreased dry matter, ether extract, and ash after four days. Regarding growth performance, voluntary feed intake (VFI) and average daily gain (ADG) showed no significant differences across treatments, though quadratic tendencies were observed at specific intervals. Notably, significant quadratic effects were found in weight gain (WG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) by day 56; the control group achieved the most efficient FCR (1.42), which worsened at 5% HTMS (1.68) before improving at 10% HTMS (1.48). Body weight remained consistent across all diets. These results suggest that while HTMS alters the nutritional profile of the feed, high inclusion levels may be necessary to maintain feed efficiency. This research provides a novel baseline for utilizing processed legume sprouts as alternative protein sources in poultry nutrition, offering a sustainable strategy for small-scale farmers to reduce feed costs without compromising bird growth.