The ever-increasing animal feed costs are driving many vulnerable communities involved in animal husbandry out of business. The high cost is mainly driven by the protein source, which represents the most expensive component in animal feed. In conventional feed, protein is obtained mainly from soybean and fish meal (SFM). The present study explored potential of partially replacing this SFM with black soldier fly prepupae meal (BSFPM) in Cobb 500 broiler chicken diets. A SFM-based diet was compared to three experimental diets formulated by partially substituting SFM with BSFPM at 13.8, 27.4, and 42.0% of the crude protein (CP) in the starter feed and 11.0, 37.2, and 55.5% of the CP in the finisher feed of diets D1, D2, and D3, respectively. Dietary effects on average daily feed intake, average daily body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, carcass characteristics, breast meat sensory attributes, and the economic implication of their use in broiler production were evaluated. Replacement of SFM with BSFPM did not affect daily feed intake, daily body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, aroma or taste of cooked breast meat. A 16.0% higher Cost Benefit Ratio and 25.0% better Return on Investment was recorded when the birds were reared on the highest concentration of black soldier fly (D3) compared to the conventional diet which was 19.0% more expensive. The implication of these findings for the promotion of insect mass production enterprises for animal feed protein, and their potential for income generation and job creation particularly in developing countries is discussed.

Evaluation ofthe sensory and meat quality was performed on Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) improved chicken (KIC) fed on diets incorporated with groundProsopis juliflora pods (GPJP. Breast and thigh samples were obtained from chicken fed on GPJPbased diets substituting whole diet at 0% (PJP-0), 10 % (PJP-10), 20% (PJP-20) and 30 % (PJP-30). Organoleptic characteristics were evaluated using questionnaires for attribute profiling and affective tests using trained and miniature consumer panels. Continuous anchored attribute scales and hedonic scale were used for sensory tests while meat quality was determined by Honikel method. Increasing the levels of GPJP had similar effect on Breast pH but PJP-20 had higher pH than cockerels offered PJP-0 and PJP-10 and pullets offered PJP-30. At 14 th day, pullet meat from PJP-0 had lower water holding capacity as compared to all other samples apart from cockerel samples from the same treatment. Pullets offered PJP-0 performed better in thigh and breast. In general acceptability (GA), 6.9% and 12.33% could be attributed to the effect of GPJP in thigh and breast in pullet and cockerel samples respectively. Results indicate that cockerels' meat had more favorable sensory effect than pullets' meat. Inclusion of 20% of GPJP in diet could be used to feed chicken while at the same time maintaining high quality meat desired by the consumers.

Entomophagy has gained popularity as a novel approach to addressing food and nutrition insecurity, particularly in sub-tropical and tropical countries. Cockroaches, for example, have the potential to alleviate nutritional deficiencies, as well as the erratic supply of protein in feeds. They can also be reared on locally available organic substrates. This study investigated growth performance and survival of german cockroach (Blattella germanica) reared on locally available organic matter substrates as treatments; spent brewers' grain (Treatment A), Treatment B consisting of (40%: wheat bran: 40% spent brewers' grain: 20% Caridina nilotica), wheat bran (Treatment C), and C. nilotica (Treatment D) and in a completely randomised design (CRD). Each treatment was replicated four times, while in each replicate 20 -30 nymphs were reared for forty-two days. Feed intake for all the treatments was not significantly different. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in mature weight, average daily weight gain, live weight, and survival during rearing period. Cockroach performed well on treatment B and recorded highest mature weight, overall performance index, survival was 90.25 mg, 197.35, 96%. The least perfomance was reported in Treatment C; 1.78, 83, 143.17 and 72.5 for average growth rate, survival, overall perfomance and mature weight respectively. B. Based on these findings, a single feed as used in this study was inferior to the composite (Treatment B) in all parameters of growth performance and survival. The composite diet (Treatment B) could be suitable substrate for mass production of B. germanica for feed and food.

The high cost of feed has been the major hindrance to a hindrance to the growth, sustainability, profitability, and expansion of poultry production. Black soldier fly larva (BSFL) meal is one of the most promising alternative protein sources widely accepted globally. This study evaluated the growth performance of improved indigenous chicken (IIC)-fed diets containing different inclusion levels of BSFL meals. The BSFL meal inclusion rates included 0% (Diet0), 5% (Diet1), 10% (Diet2), 15% (Diet3), and 20% (Diet4) as replacement to the expensive fish meal in chick and grower diets. Our results showed that diet significantly affected the average daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio, and average daily weight gain of the chicks. The average daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio, except average daily feed intake of the growers, was not significantly affected by diets. The gross profit margin, cost–benefit ratio, and return on investment of feeding birds with BSFL meal varied significantly. The highest cost–benefit ratio of 2.12 was recorded for birds fed on Diet4. Our findings demonstrate that insect-based feeds can successfully and cost-effectively replace fish meal up to 20% without compromising the growth performance of the birds. Therefore, BSFL meal could be incorporated as an essential part of poultry feed production for IIC, potentially reducing the total feed cost while maintaining optimal production and reducing the cost of meat and egg products.

It is recognised that n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are important components of a healthy human diet. There is, therefore, considerable interest in manipulating animal tissue fatty acid composition to enhance n-3 PUFA intakes. Linseed is a rich source of the n-3 fatty acid, linolenic acid (C18:3n-3). When whole linseed (WL) is included in poultry diets this fatty acid can be incorporated into tissue lipids and may also serve as a precursor for the synthesis of longer chain C20 and C22 n-3 PUFA in chicken tissues. To counteract the increased susceptibility of PUFA-enriched tissues to peroxidation, α-tocopherol acetate (ATA) supplementation of the diet may be required. In this study the effect of WL and supplementary ATA on broiler growth performance and leg and breast muscle fatty acid profiles and lipid peroxidation were studied

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Feeding accounts for 65-70% of cost production in a chicken enterprise. Fishmeal has primarily been used as a source of protein in chicken feed owing to its excellent nutritional value. However, due to its unstable supply and variation in quality, recent studies have focused on finding alternative protein feedstuff, such as edible insects. A study was carried out to evaluate the effects of substituting fishmeal (FM) with Blattela germanica meal (BGM) on the growth of chicks. Seventy-two KALRO improved indigenous chickens (KC), at the grower stage, eight weeks old, comprising an equal number of males and females were used as sampling units in a completely randomized design (CRD) feeding trial. Each of the four treatments was replicated three times. Birds were fed on dietary treatments that were isocaloric and isonitrogenous and comprised - treatments TA (87.5 %FM, 12.5% BGM), TB (62.5 % FM, 37.5 % BGM), and TC (50% FM, 50% BGM) TD (100 %FM, 0% FM)-Control. Data on daily feed intake and weekly live weight was taken for eight weeks and used to calculate the Feed conversion ratio (FCR) and average daily gain (ADG). Data were subjected to a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The feed intake, average daily gain, final weight gain, and feed conversion ratio was not significantly different from the control (P> 0.05). Thus, indigenous chicken fed diet with BGM and fishmeal performed similarly. As such, farmers should be encouraged to incorporate cockroaches as their on-farm feed to reduce the feed cost and increase chicken productivity

It is recognised that n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are important components of a healthy human diet. There is, therefore, considerable interest in manipulating animal tissue fatty acid composition to enhance n-3 PUFA intakes. Linseed is a rich source of the n-3 fatty acid, linolenic acid (C18:3n-3). When whole linseed (WL) is included in poultry diets this fatty acid can be incorporated into tissue lipids and may also serve as a precursor for the synthesis of longer chain C20 and C22 n-3 PUFA in chicken tissues. To counteract the increased susceptibility of PUFA-enriched tissues to peroxidation, α-tocopherol acetate (ATA) supplementation of the diet may be required. In this study the effect of WL and supplementary ATA on broiler growth performance and leg and breast muscle fatty acid profiles and lipid peroxidation were studied