Feeding value of black soldier fly larvae compared to soybean in methionine- and lysine-deficient laying hen diets

Abstract

To increase the sustainability of egg production, alternatives to soybean in poultry nutrition are intensively searched for. Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) could have a great potential, but the comparative protein value to soybean is not well known. The main objective of this study was to facilitate this comparison by using experimental diets clearly limited in calculated supply of sulphurous amino acids and lysine. Fifty laying hens (Lohmann Brown Classic), aged 40 weeks, were fed one of five diets for 7 weeks (n=10). Two diets were based on soybean cake and oil (SS, SS-) as protein and energy sources, and three diets contained partially defatted BSFL meal and fat from two different origins (AA-, AB-, BB-). Different from SS, all other diets were designed to be deficient in methionine and lysine in relation to requirements by >20%. The realised supply with total sulphurous amino acids and lysine was indeed superior with SS even though this diet was analysed to be more deficient in methionine than the BSFL-based diets. Despite the calculated deficiency in limiting amino acids, laying performance of the hens of all groups was similar and ranged between 93 and 97%. Similarly, egg mass, daily feed intake and feed efficiency were not influenced by the BSFL-based diets. The yolks of group BB- were more intensely coloured compared to the others indicating a difference between BSFL origins. Yolks of SS-, but not of the BSFL-based diets, had lower contents of dry matter and ether extract than those of SS. Including BSFL into the diet did not influence the odour of the eggs tested in scrambled form. The results show that soybean-based feeds for laying hens may be completely replaced by BSFL-based feeds and suggest that the recommendations for amino acid supply of laying hens might need revision.

Genotype-by-Diet Interactions for Larval Performance and Body Composition Traits in the Black Soldier Fly, Hermetia illucens

“…Besides quantitative protein yields, amino acid (AA) profiles could play a qualitative role in tailoring BSF meal inclusion levels in livestock and aquaculture feeding [ 3 , 87 ]. As previously documented [ 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ], we here show that diet can significantly influence larval AA composition of any given strain, yet with notable variance among strains and generally less pronounced for essential compared to non-essential AA (differences of up to 0.84 g for the former and up to 3.07 g for the latter per 100 g protein).…”

Insect meals in a circular economy and applications in monogastric diets

“… FF, full-fat insect meals; DF, defatted insect meals. a ( Weththasinghe et al, 2021 ; Leeper et al, 2022 ) b ( Heide et al, 2021 ; Weththasinghe et al, 2021 ; Gasco et al, 2022 ; Heuel et al, 2022 ; Silva et al, 2022 ) c ( Benzertiha et al, 2020 ) d ( Heide et al, 2021 ; Gasco et al, 2022 ) e ( Makkar et al, 2014 ; Hall et al, 2018 ) …”

“… b ( Heide et al, 2021 ; Weththasinghe et al, 2021 ; Gasco et al, 2022 ; Heuel et al, 2022 ; Silva et al, 2022 ) …”

Introducing the special issue ‘Insects on the monogastric menu’

“…The effects of inclusion of yellow mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor) fed low or high deoxynivalenol-contaminated wheat in broiler diets were evaluated for broiler production performance, survival, and retention of dry matter and crude protein (Duhra et al, 2022). In two papers in this special issue the feeding value of BSF larvae products is evaluated in broiler chickens (Kim et al, 2022) and in laying hens (Heuel et al, 2022). Kim et al (2022) evaluated the apparent ileal nutrient digestibility of diets supplemented with different inclusion levels of BSF meal.…”

“…Subsequently, the authors evaluated different inclusion levels of microwave-dried BSF larvae meal as replacement for soybean meal in broiler chicken diets on growth performance, intestinal length and weight, volatile fatty acids in caecal digesta and serum parameters and haematological traits as indicators for animal health. Heuel et al (2022) evaluated the difference in feeding value between soybean protein and BSF larvae protein in a lysinedeficient diet in laying hens at the start of the laying period, and the source of BSF larvae was also studied. Next to production performance parameters, egg quality and a sensory evaluation of the odour of eggs were also assessed.…”