A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Insects in Feed on Poultry Growth Performances

Abstract

We investigated and summarized results from studies evaluating the effects of feeding poultry with insects on their growth performances. After a systematic review of studies published since 2000, two independent reviewers assessed the eligibility of each one based on predefined inclusion criteria. We extracted information on the study design, insects, avian species, and growth performances, i.e., average daily gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio. Next, we estimated pooled differences between performances of poultry fed a diet with vs. without insects through random-effects meta-analysis models. Additionally, these models evaluated the effects of potential sources of heterogeneity across studies. Of the 75 studies reviewed, 41 met the inclusion criteria and included 174 trials. With respect to diets without insects, pooled differences in growth performances were statistically not different from the null, but heterogeneity was marked across studies. Average daily gain decreased with increasing inclusion rates of insects, going below the null for rates of 10% and more. Grasshoppers were negatively associated with the average daily gain and positively associated with feed intake. The country of publication was another source of heterogeneity across publications. Overall, our results show insects should substitute only partially conventional protein sources and not be grasshoppers to guarantee the appropriate growth of birds.

Screening of in vitro nutrient digestibility coefficients of selected insect meals in broiler chickens, black‐meat chickens and quails

“…On the other hand, the converse results were reported in another in vitro digestibility study that HI was higher CPd than TM (Marono et al, 2015). Contrary to expectation, grasshopper (PS) represented the high CPd based on in vitro digestibility in this study which the using grasshopper in feed formulation influenced on lower average daily weigh gain of poultry (Moula & Detilleux, 2019). Therefore, the results from in vitro digestibility testing should be used as one of considerate information which should further consider on palatability and amino acid profiles.…”

Effect of Dried Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor), Larvae and Olive Leaves (Olea europaea L.) on Growth Performance, Carcass Yield and Some Blood Parameters of Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

“…Zadeh et al [9] reported similar observations for quails fed with a basal diet supplemented with TM. In contrast, Bovera, et al [2] observed the highest weight of carcass in broilers fed with TM larvae meal as a protein source due to their high protein quality and quantity [13]. It is noteworthy that the liver yield was significantly higher in the group that received OL alone, when compared to the other groups (Table 4).…”

Do insects as feed ingredient affect meat quality?

“…In 2014 the first international conference on "Insects to feed the world" was organized by the FAO [13] which proposed, from the first time, the use of insects as promising alternative food and feed sources as a possible solution related to the expected demographic growth. Since that time, a new research field has emerged and an impressive number of articles have been published (see reviews of [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]), with an exponential increase in scientific knowledge on insects as feed.…”