Data-Avian endozoochorous dispersal mechanism of Solanum rostratum

A total of 40 domestic chickens (breed: Jingbai 904), comprising 10 males and 10 females each at 60 and 120 days of age, were used. Five chickens of the same age and sex were randomly assigned to a single rearing cage. Each cage was covered with a plastic sheet at the bottom for fecal sample collection. The S. rostratum seeds were mixed with chicken feed and fed at two frequencies: once a day (200 seeds per feeding) and four times a day (50 seeds per feeding). The once-a-day feeding was conducted in the morning, while the four-times-a-day feeding occurred from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., every three hours. Fecal samples were collected once the following morning, prior to feeding. The number of seeds remaining in the uneaten feed for each chicken was recorded, and the plastic sheet was replaced. Each treatment was replicated five times.