This study investigated the impact of Moringa oleifera Lam. meal (MOM) on meat nutritional properties and bone quality of slow-growing layer-type male chickens raised in semi-intensive conditions. A total of 198, 72-d-old Dominant Blue D 107 male chickens, with an average weight of 1093 ± 15.2 g, were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments supplemented with 0, 3, and 6% of MOM that corresponded to T1, T2, and T3, respectively. Each treatment, consisting of six replicated floor pens of 11 birds, had access to the outdoors for 49 days. The results showed that breast muscle ash percentage was significantly greater (P ≤ 0.05) in T2 in comparison to the T1 group. Meat dry matter, protein, and fat content were not influenced by the treatments (P > 0.05). Regardless of the treatments, oleic acid (C18:1N9C) was numerically more abundant in the breast than in the leg muscle. Alternatively, femoral and tibial lengths were shorter (P ≤ 0.05) in birds fed 3% MOM than the two other groups. Moreover, birds fed with MOM had greater tibial diameter (P ≤ 0.05) than those that were fed without MOM. In addition, bone ash content and phosphorous amount were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) in birds fed 6% MOM compared to those fed without MOM. The data of this study indicate that up to 6% of MOM may be added to the diet of slow-growing layer-type male chickens raised with outdoor access under tropical conditions to improve bone quality traits.
Keywords: Dominant CZ Blue D 107; bone quality; meat composition; moringa; outdoor access; slow-growing male chickens; tropical climate.