Browsing by Author "Jansen, Zachary"
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- ItemThe nutritional potential of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae as a protein source for broiler chicken diets(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) Jansen, Zachary; Pieterse, E.; Hoffman, Louwrens C.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Animal Sciences.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Insect protein is becoming an increased area of interest because of the potential positive effects that it may have in animal feeds. Insect protein is believed to have beneficial nutritional components desirable for livestock while reducing the amount of environmental pollution due to their ability to be reared on bio-waste streams. Soya meal and fishmeal are the most commonly used protein sources in livestock diets. However, due to competition with human consumption and bio-fuel utilisation of soya and decreasing fish stocks for the production of fishmeal (making both these raw materials unsustainable), alternative protein sources in the form of insects are being investigated. The black soldier fly (BSF) (Hermetia illucens) is regarded as the insect with the highest potential for waste recycling. There is limited research of the use of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) incorporated into layer hen diets. In this investigation, BSFL were processed with three different techniques: a full fat, dry rendered and an extruded meal. All three treatments were incorporated into three different layer diets at 15% inclusion levels. The diets were fed to layer hens for a period of 41 days and compared to a control maize soya diet. Positive results as pertaining to production and egg quality parameters were found. The full fat and extruded meal had the highest egg lay percentage (amount of eggs laid throughout the duration of the trial per treatment) and differed (P≤0.05) from the control diet. No differences between treatments were found with regard to categorical data which included blood and meat spots, albumin spread and yolk colour and yolk membrane. With regard to egg quality parameters, a difference (P≤0.05) was found between the albumin weights. All three insect meals differed from the control diet with heavier albumin weights. The results obtained in this study are in favour of the use of black solider fly larvae processed using any of the three techniques in poultry feeds.