Abstract
The use of insect meals in place of soybean meal in diets is critical for sustainable intensification of poultry production, but the utility of this alternative dietary protein source is unknown for the Jumbo quail. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of partial substitution of soybean with black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) meal on feed intake, physiological, and meat quality parameters of Jumbo quails. Three hundred and fifteen mixed-gender quails (53.8 ± 5.19 g live-weight) were reared on five isonitrogenous and isoenergetic experimental diets formulated by replacing soybean products with BSFL meal at 0 (BSFL0), 25 (BSFL25), 50 (BSFL50), 75 (BSFL75), and 100 (BSFL100) g/kg. Feed intake, body weight gain, gain-to-feed ratio (G:F), blood parameters, and carcass and meat quality traits were determined. Quadratic trends were observed for overall feed intake (y = 605 (±17.56) + 2.1 (±0.82)x − 0.02 (±0.008)x2; R2 = 0.20; p = 0.023) and overall body weight gain (y = 155 (±4.70) + 0.57 (±0.22)x − 0.005 (±0.002)x2; R2 = 0.22; p = 0.026) in response to BSFL levels. However, there were neither linear nor quadratic trends for meat quality and blood parameters, except for albumin-to-globulin ratio. Only gizzard size linearly increased (y = 0.05 (±0.004)x + 2.3 (±0.09); R2 = 0.18; p = 0.04) with BSFL levels. We concluded that BSFL meal could replace soybean products in Jumbo quail diets at 54 g/kg without compromising weight gain and meat quality.
Highlights
The production and use of feed in the livestock sector account for approximately 14.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions [1]
Dried and defatted black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) meal was bought from AgriProtein (PTY) LTD (Cape Town, South Africa), a feed manufacturing company located in Cape Town (Western Cape, South Africa)
Repeated measures analyses showed a significant diet and week interaction effect on G:F, indicating that the efficiency of the birds in converting the dietary treatments into body mass depended on their age
Summary
The production and use of feed in the livestock sector account for approximately 14.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions [1]. The demand for soybean, the main protein source in poultry diets, has steadily increased due to competition between animal and human needs [3]. This has led to higher market prices for this vegetable protein compromising its contribution to food and nutrition security. Sustainable intensification of poultry production requires the use of feed ingredients whose production requires less water, land, and results in lower greenhouse gas emissions [4]. This approach will ensure environmental, financial, and social sustainability of the poultry industry. This has seen the introduction of novel bird species such as the quail
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