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Insect Larvae as an Alternate Protein Source in Poultry Feed Improve the Performance and Meat Quality of Broilers
oleh: Muhammad Sajjad, Asif Sajjad, Ghazanfar Ali Chishti, Ehsaan Ullah Khan, Raimondas Mozūraitis, Muhammad Binyameen
Format: | Article |
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Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2024-07-01 |
Deskripsi
The primary challenge facing the global animal industry is the scarcity of protein feed resources. Various insects are gaining prominence as innovative feed sources due to their economic, environmentally friendly, and nutritious attributes. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of a partial replacement of soybean meal with fall armyworm <i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i> (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and black soldier fly <i>Hermetia illucens</i> (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) on the growth performances, blood parameters, gut histology, and meat quality of broilers. A total of 350 1-day-old (40 ± 0.15 g) male chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to seven experimental meals. Each treatment was repeated five times with 50 birds per dietary treatment. The seven dietary treatments included 4, 8, and 12% replacements of SBM with larvae of <i>S. frugiperda</i> and <i>H. illucens</i>. SBM was the basal diet considered the control. The data showed that broilers fed 12% <i>S. frugiperda</i> or <i>H. illucens</i> exhibited a significantly higher (<i>p</i> < 0.05) live weight, average daily weight gain, and improved the feed conversion ratio. Meals with 12% <i>S. frugiperda</i> or <i>H. illucens</i> significantly enhanced (<i>p</i> < 0.05) haematological and gut histological parameters, including villus height, crypt depth, villus width, and villus height/crypt depth ratios. The meat of broilers fed the 12% <i>S. frugiperda</i> diet showed significantly higher (<i>p</i> < 0.05) lightness and yellowness. Replacing soybean meal up to 12% with either <i>S. frugiperda</i> or <i>H. illucens</i> larvae improves the growth performance, blood haematology, gut morphometry, and meat quality traits of broilers.