Insect larval meal is an increasingly common protein source in poultry systems. In this study, the effect of replacing soybean meal with Tenebrio molitor larval meal on the performance of slow-growing chickens was assessed. A total of 128 one-day-old chickens (Colorield) were randomly divided into a control group (C) (n = 64), fed with soybean meal, and an experimental group (TM) (n = 64), fed with T. molitor larvae meal. The chicks were slaughtered after 95 days. Three different isoenergetic and isoproteic diets (F1, F2 and F3) were used for each group. The F1 diet resulted in higher body weight gain and higher feed and water intakes in group C, but a lower feed conversion ratio. Contrarily, diets F2 and F3 did not produce differences in the studied parameters between the two groups, except for body weight gain in the case of diet F2, which was highest in group C. Therefore, weight gain and feed and water intakes were significantly higher in group C, but there were no differences in feed conversion ratio or live weight. In conclusion, the total replacement of soybean meal with T. molitor larvae meal resulted in a reduction in feed intake and a consequent reduction in weight. During this period, partial rather than total substitution may be recommended.

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Abstract. Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as the Global Position System (GPS), are currently used to replace the traditional pastoralism and to remotely control the movements and location of the herds. Besides, the use of this remote monitoring can benefit the understanding of grazing resource use and livestock management. In this work we investigated the herd behaviour in a Spanish organic farm of free pastoralist sheep with a joint use of different geodata sources. The area of study comprised approximately 900 hectares with a variety of land covers dedicated to pasture.A herd of 300 head was monitored during 2009 and 2010. GPS data were acquired every 5 minutes. In addition, a comprehensive map of land uses/land covers (LU/LC) was retrieved through a supervised classification of a mosaic of orthophotographs (visible and near infrared bands, VNIR). Then, the digital elevation model (DEM) and the digital surface model (DSM) were obtained from a 2010 LiDAR (light detection and ranging) campaign, which allowed the retrieval of terrain attributes and vegetation parameters. The positioning and behaviour of the GPS-tracked sheep were analysed in terms of the retrieved topographic characteristics and land uses. The study of the most influential variables indicated that the slope and aspect were the topographic attributes that most exerted impact on the grazing activity, being the north direction the most preferable, as well as a gentle slope. Regarding the LU/LC, grassland areas were selected by the sheep, specifically in areas of short vegetation (i.e., outside shrublands and trees beyond 0.5 m high).