Incorporating whole insect larvae into poultry diets: state of the art and future perspectives
Articolo
Data di Pubblicazione:
2023
Abstract:
A wide range of insects are being considered as potential candidate sources of dietary protein;
however, it was only recently that the European Union, with Regulation (EU) 2017/893 of May
24, first allowed the use of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens), the common housefly (Musca
domestica), the yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor), the lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus), the house cricket (Acheta domesticus), the banded cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus) and the field cricket (Gryllus assimilis) as feed in aquaculture. With Regulation (EU) 2021/1372 of August 17, their use was extended to poultry and pig feed. Most of the studies on the use of insects in poultry feeding have focused on the benefits of insect meals. However, live insects are part of the natural diet of poultry, so more effort should be directed at evaluating their use further, not only in relation to their effect on poultry performance and product quality, but also from the
perspective of bird welfare. No adverse effects have been observed with the dietary inclusion of
live larvae at up to 10% of the daily feed intake. However, further research is needed to establish
the inclusion levels that are most advantageous for the bird’s health, economically sustainable
for the breeder and without the unnecessary waste of resources. Live larvae provide fresh,
unaltered nutrients and they stimulate birds to express innate behaviours which may improve
the birds’ welfare. The production and distribution of live larvae may be laborious and expensive,
especially for large-scale production systems. Dehydrated larvae are easier to handle, and
no complex protocols need to be implemented prior to offering to the bird. By contrast, dehydrated larvae are potentially less attractive to birds.
Tipologia CRIS:
03A-Articolo su Rivista
Keywords:
Insects; dietary live larvae; dietary dehydrated larvae; poultry; welfare
Elenco autori:
Schiavone, Achille; Castillo, Annelisse
Link alla scheda completa:
Link al Full Text:
Pubblicato in: