GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF BROILER CHICKENS FED ON BLACK SOLDIER FLY LARVA MEAL INCLUSIONS

Abstract

Background:
The purpose of this study was to examine the potential advantages of incorporating Black Soldier Fly Larva (BSFL) meals into feed formulations for broiler chickens to improve their growth performance. The research was conducted in a mini-animal house at Federal Low-Cost Gombe, Gombe State, Nigeria.
Methods:
We acquired eighty-one 2-week-old Arbor Acres chicken strain from May Farms, Gombe. The BSFL were obtained from chicken waste and leftover fruits, then oven-dried, analyzed based on dry matter, and ground using a local milling machine. The BSFL meal was added to poultry diets by replacing dietary fishmeal at 0% (Control, A), 50% (B), and 100% (C). Each dietary treatment involved nine birds in triplicate in a completely randomized design. The birds were placed in pens marked with plywood and were fed the experimental diets for six weeks under similar management and dietary conditions. Data on weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, feed efficiency ratio, and linear body measurements were collected and analyzed.
Results:
The weight gain varied significantly (p<0.05) among the different treatment groups. Birds on Treatment C (1693.30±25.39 g) showed the highest weight gain, followed by those on Treatment B (1592.10±22.94 g), with the lowest mean final weekly weight gain observed in Treatment A (1416.03±32.66 g). Similarly, feed intake followed a similar pattern to weight gain. As for linear body measurements, the greatest increase in body length was recorded in Treatment C (20.54±1.01 cm), while the smallest was recorded in Treatment A (16.84 ±1.25 cm). Similar trends were seen for body width increase, thigh length increase, shank length increase, and wing length increase.
Conclusion:
The study showed that including BSFL in the diet promoted the growth of broiler chickens and could potentially serve as a significant protein source in poultry feed formulation.