Chemically Treated Chicken Feather Meal for Fish Feed

Abstract

The increasing demand and consumption of chicken meat from year to year makes the waste produced also increase, especially chicken feathers. One of the physical waste utilization of chicken feathers is handicrafts that use chicken feathers such as dream catchers. The utilization of chicken feather waste as a feed ingredient is still relatively rare because chicken feathers have crude protein which includes structural protein called keratin. Therefore, it is necessary to process it first so that the keratin in the chicken feather can be degraded properly. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the chemical processing of chicken feathers and its application as one of the raw materials that make up fish feed. Based on the results of the review of published articles, chicken feathers contain protein and amino acids that are quite good as fish feed. Chemical processing of chicken feathers is considered more effective and economical because it does not damage the protein in chicken feathers and produces more natural chicken feather flour and can reduce damaged amino acids. The quality of chicken feathers is influenced by chemicals, concentration and length of processing time. Various fish species such as tilapia, catfish and catfish show good growth and survival when fed feed containing chicken feather meal. In other words, chicken feather meal has the potential to be used as an alternative raw material in making fish feed.