Potential Development of Cow Hair Waste as Alternative Feed Protein Source for Poultry in South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia

Abstract

Cow hair waste (CHW) is one of the wastes produced by the cowhide cracker processing industry. In South Sulawesi Province, every year, approximately 55.6 tons of CHW produced from this industry. The problem, the digestibility of CHW is very low so that the process requires certain technologies. The low of digestibility caused by the presence of disulfide bonds (S-S) in the protein component (keratin). The application of CHW as a protein source feed affects the productivity and quality of poultry meat. The study was aims to evaluate the productivity and quality of poultry meat (quail) which was added with CHW meal at various levels. A total of four levels of CHW meal (0% (control); 2%, 4% and 6%)(w/w) were applied to the composition of the quail (Coturnix-coturnix) feed rations that were kept in cages for 6 weeks. The results showed no significant effect (p>0,05) on the body weight (BW), meat shear force (MSF) and cooking loss (CL) with increasing levels of CHW meal administration. In general, it can be concluded that CHW can be applied in the composition of poultry feed at level of 0-6% (w/w).