Can black soldier fly Desmodium intortum larvae-based diets enhance the performance of Cobb500 broiler chickens and smallholder farmers' profit in Kenya?

Standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA) and apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen (AMEn) in defatted black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) were determined in broiler chicks. A total of 180-d-old male broiler chicks (Ross 708) were fed a commercial broiler starter diet to day 13 of age. On day 14, birds were weighed and placed in cages (10 birds per cage; n = 6) and allocated one of two semi-purified cornstarch-based diets. The diets were nitrogen-free diet (NFD) for estimating endogenous AA losses and 20% crude protein test diet with BSFLM as the sole source of AA. All diets had 0.5% titanium dioxide (TiO2) as an indigestible marker and the ratio of cornstarch to sucrose and soy oil in the test diet was identical to NFD to calculate AMEn by difference method. Birds were given feed and water ad libitum. Excreta samples were collected on days 17–20 and ileal digesta on day 21. The SID of lysine, methionine, cysteine, threonine, isoleucine, and valine was 86.3%, 88.7%, 72.8%, 85.5%, 89.6%, and 88.6%, respectively. Apparent retention of gross energy in BSFLM was 64.5% ± 2.27% and AMEn was 2902 ± 101 kcal kg−1 dry matter. The data will aid in accurate incorporation of BSFLM in poultry feeding programs.

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Black soldier fly defatted meal as a dietary protein source for broiler chickens: effects on carcass traits, breast meat quality and safety

animal ◽

10.1017/s1751731119000685 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (10) ◽

pp. 2397-2405 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

A. Schiavone ◽

S. Dabbou ◽

M. Petracci ◽

M. Zampiga ◽

F. Sirri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Meat Quality ◽

Dietary Protein ◽

Broiler Chickens ◽

Carcass Traits ◽

Protein Source ◽

Quality And Safety ◽

Breast Meat ◽

Black Soldier Fly ◽

Defatted Meal ◽

Dietary Protein Source

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Economic and ecological values of frass fertiliser from black soldier fly agro-industrial waste processing

Journal of Insects as Food and Feed ◽

10.3920/jiff2021.0013 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

D. Beesigamukama ◽

B. Mochoge ◽

N. Korir ◽

K. Menale ◽

B. Muriithi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Systems ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Value Added ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Economic Benefits ◽

Net Income ◽

Maize Crop ◽

Black Soldier Fly ◽

Organic Fertiliser

The sustainable utilisation of black soldier fly (BSF) for recycling organic waste into high-quality protein feed and organic fertiliser with a low environmental footprint is gaining momentum worldwide. Although BSF farming is becoming a rapidly growing agribusiness, studies on the BSF farming’s economic aspects are limited. This study analysed the economic benefits of farming BSF for animal feeds and composted frass, called frass fertiliser (FF) production using experimental data. The BSF larvae were fed on brewery spent grain amended with sawdust, biochar, and gypsum to determine the cost-effective feed and other by-products production. The agronomic performance of FF on the maize crop was assessed using field experiments. Our results demonstrated that sourcing and preparing the waste substrate for rearing the BSF larvae accounts for 81-90% of the total BSF production cost. The utilisation of FF as an additional value-added product would increase farmer’s net income by 5-15 folds compared to BSF farming alone. Feedstock amended with 20% biochar increased net income by 10-64% for BSF larvae and FF production than other feedstocks. Production of one megagram (Mg) of dried BSF larvae (USD 900) would generate 10-34 Mg of FF worth USD 3,000-10,200. Maize grown on plots treated with FF yielded 29-44% higher net income than maize harvested from plots amended with commercial organic fertiliser. Furthermore, smallholder insect farmers’ direct use of FF for maize production would generate 30-232% higher net income than farmers purchasing similar FF. Our results demonstrate for the first time the role of insect farming in circular economy and justify the opportunities for future investments that would lead to enhanced sustainability for agricultural and food systems, especially for smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries.

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Black soldier fly and gut health in broiler chickens: insights into the relationship between cecal microbiota and intestinal mucin composition

Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology ◽

10.1186/s40104-019-0413-y ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ilaria Biasato ◽

Ilario Ferrocino ◽

Sihem Dabbou ◽

Rocchina Evangelista ◽

Francesco Gai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Broiler Chickens ◽

Gut Health ◽

Black Soldier Fly ◽

Intestinal Mucin ◽

Cecal Microbiota ◽

The Relationship

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Protein composition and digestibility of black soldier fly larvae in broiler chickens revisited according to the recent nitrogen-protein conversion ratio

Journal of Insects as Food and Feed ◽

10.3920/jiff2018.0006 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 171-177 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

J. Nery ◽

L. Gasco ◽

S. Dabbou ◽

A. Schiavone

Keyword(s):

Broiler Chickens ◽

Weighted Average ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Conversion Ratio ◽

Adaptation Period ◽

Protein Nitrogen ◽

Black Soldier Fly ◽

Conversion Factors ◽

The Mean ◽

Poultry Diets

Specific nitrogen-to-protein (N:P) conversion factors have recently been defined for processed insect meal, because the presence of non-protein nitrogen in insects leads to an overestimation of the insect protein content. The aim of this paper was, on the basis of our previous study, to recalculate the digestibility of partially or totally defatted black soldier fly (BSF; Hermetia illucens) larva meals in broiler chickens. Sixty 26-days-old Ross 308 male chickens were randomly divided into fifteen cages (5 replicates/treatment). The chickens were fed a basal diet, and two BSF larva meal diets that differed according to their fat content. The digestibility trial lasted 10 days, and it included a 6-days adaptation period and 4-days of excreta collection. Four methods were used to recalculate the crude protein (CP) content of the diet and excreta, using either the conventional 6.25 N:P conversion ratio, the mean 5.60 N:P conversion ratio proposed in literature, or the weighted average of the specific N:P conversion ratio (5.62 for BSF meal, 5.68 for corn and 5.64 for soybean meal). The data were analysed using the t-test and differences were considered significant for P<0.05. Diet CP digestibility calculated using the conventional 6.25 N:P conversion factor was slightly lower than that calculated using the weighted average 5.66 and 5.65 N:P conversion factors (P<0.005). A significantly lower diet CP digestibility was found when using the conventional 6.25 N:P conversion factors for the basal diet and excreta and the weighted average 6.09 N:P conversion factors for the insect meal diets (P<0.005). As far as the latest developments pertaining the N:P conversion ratio in processed insect meal are concerned, the mean 5.60 N:P conversion ratio seems more accurate than the conventional 6.25 one to determine the CP content in poultry diets containing insect processed meal.

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