Abstract:
Insects and their larvae are traditional feed sources for scavenging poultry and wild
birds, and their potential inclusion in commercial poultry diets has attracted
worldwide interest. This study investigated the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens)
Larvae (BSFL) as a partial replacement for commercial feed in crossbred Naked neck
male chicken diets, assessing its impact on growth performance, meat quality, and
economic profitability. A total of 160 one-month-old crossbred Naked neck male
chicks were obtained from a commercial farm brooder and acclimated for one week.
After acclimation, the chicks were randomly assigned to 16 equally sized wooden
cages (2 m²), with 10 birds per cage. The birds were then allocated to dietary
treatments, with 40 birds per treatment, for 10 weeks. Live BSFL was incorporated
into the diets at the rate of 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% to create the Control (C), T1, T2,
and T3 diets, respectively. Each treatment included two feeding phases: a starter diet
phase from week 4 to week 6, and a grower diet phase from week 6 to week 14. The
inclusion of 20% BSFL (T2) had a significantly higher (p<0.05) final body weight
(1199.52±3.19 g) and body weight gain (1015.18±3.77 g), while significantly lower
feed conversion ratio (2.19±0.01). Further, the performance efficiency factor
(783.05±4.89 g) was highest in T2, showing the best overall performance. However,
meat quality parameters such as meat color, pH, and water holding capacity were not
significantly affected (p>0.05) by the different treatments. According to the cost benefit analysis, T2 treatment had a significantly higher cost-benefit ratio
(1.617±0.0043) and a better return on investment (0.617±0.0043). In conclusion,
BSFL at the rate of 20% can be used as a partial replacement for more expensive
commercial feed in Naked neck crossbred chicken diets, improving performance
without negatively affecting the carcass characteristics.
