Journal of Insects As Food and Feed, 2015;2015 Online1(1): 1-8 ARTICLE in PRESS Publishers
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Wageningen Academic Journal of Insects as Food and Feed, 2015;2015 online1(1): 1-8 ARTICLE IN PRESS Publishers Replacement of soybean cake by Hermetia illucens meal in diets for layers V. Maurer1*, M. Holinger1, Z. Amsler1, B. Früh1, J. Wohlfahrt1, A. Stamer1,2, F. Leiber1 1Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Ackerstrasse 113, P.O. Box 219, 5070 Frick, Switzerland; 2Invertec, Invertebrate Protein Technologies, 5070 Frick, Switzerland; [email protected] Received: 12 May 2015 / Accepted: 27 August 2015 © 2015 Wageningen Academic Publishers RESEARCH ARTICLE Abstract Insects will likely play an important role as protein sources for livestock in the future. Many insect species are able to convert materials not suitable for human nutrition – or even waste – into valuable protein with a favourable amino acid composition for poultry and other livestock. A feeding trial with partly de-fatted meal of dried Hermetia illucens larvae (Hermetia meal) reared on vegetarian by-products of the pasta and convenience food industry was carried out in small groups of Lohmann Selected Leghorn laying hens (four rounds, 10 hens/round). Experimental diets H12 and H24 contained 12 and 24 g/100 g Hermetia meal replacing 50 or 100% of soybean cake used in the control feed, respectively. After three weeks of feeding experimental diets, there were no significant differences between feeding groups with regard to performance (egg production, feed intake). There was a tendency (P=0.06) for lower albumen weight in the H24 group; yolk and shell weights did not differ. No mortality and no sign of health disorders occurred. Plumage as well as wound scores remained stable during the feeding period and did not differ between treatments. Dry matter of faeces increased with increasing proportions of Hermetia meal in the diet, with a significant difference between H24 and the control (P=0.03). An increase of black faecal pads was observed in the H12 and H24 groups. Overall, these results suggest Hermetia meal can be a valuable component of layer diets. However, insect meal production still has to become economically more viable through upscaling production and, especially, legislative issues have to be solved. Keywords: animal health, feed, insect meal, laying performance, poultry 1. Introduction Insect proteins are supposed to be valuable protein sources for monogastric animals (Makkar et al., 2014). Soybean cake is a main protein source for pigs and poultry Many insect species can potentially be used for producing in Europe. Using this protein source as animal feed is insect biomass, but most promising are the larvae of the controversial due to its potentially negative environmental black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens), the common housefly and social impacts (Semino et al., 2009; Von Witzke et (Musca domestica), the yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) al., 2011). Calculations of the Food and Agricultural as well as blue bottle (Calliphora vomitoria) and blow flies Organization of the United Nations predict the world’s (Chrysomya spp.) (Charlton et al., 2015). Insects can feed http://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/pdf/10.3920/JIFF2015.0071 - Tuesday, November 03, 2015 1:57:18 AM IP Address:212.249.198.9 population will grow to around 9 billion people by 2050 on a broad variety of materials including manure and (Alexandratos and Bruinsma, 2012), resulting in a higher they have a better feed conversion rate than most other consumption of food from animal origin and, therefore, an animals, which reduces wastage and costs (Khusro et al., increased demand for protein to feed livestock. Alternative 2012). H. illucens seems to be particularly promising, protein sources will play an important role to fill the because it can reach high growth rates on materials that resulting supply gap. A focus will be on sources which are unsuitable for human nutrition (e.g. by-products from do not use arable land resources and are, therefore, not food processing, organic waste; Diener et al., 2011) and competing with food crops for human nutrition (Cassidy due to its amino acid composition, which is reported to et al., 2013). be similar or even superior to soybean (Veldkamp et al., 2012). However, knowledge about the actual suitability ISSN 2352-4588 online, DOI 10.3920/JIFF2015.0071 1 V. Maurer et al. of H. illucens- and other insect-based feeds for poultry in differences in start weight between rounds 1, 3, and 4. meat and egg production is very scarce so far (Makkar et Overall, weights (1,735±180 g) were within the standard al., 2014). Acceptance by the animals, digestibility, feed for non-cage production systems as given by the breeding conversion rates, animal health issues and the quality of organisation (Lohmann, 2013). Wound scores (see below) the resulting products are of particular importance and and laying performance (%) did not differ between the not yet investigated sufficiently. treatment groups, initially. So far, legal restrictions hinder the use of insect protein All animal-related procedures were in compliance with the in feed for livestock intended for human consumption in Swiss Animal Welfare Act, the Animal Welfare Ordinance, many countries (Belluco et al., 2013; Vantomme, 2015). This and the Animal Experimentation Ordinance (experiment might be the main reason why, to the best of our knowledge, no. 75645). no feeding trials using insects as feed components for laying hens have yet been published. On the other hand, more data Hermetia meal production about application of insects as livestock feed (Makkar et al., 2014) as well as safety issues (Belluco et al., 2013; Charlton Larvae of H. illucens were produced by modified methods et al., 2015) would probably be necessary to move political based on Sheppard et al. (2002). Freshly deposited eggs processes forward in a responsible way. were transferred to incubation boxes where larvae hatched within three days. Young larvae were first fed a powdered This paper describes two experimental H. illucens- compound feed for layers (composition and nutrient based diets for layers and a trial carried out with small concentration corresponding to control feed used in this experimental layer flocks. With the experiment, we aimed experiment; see below). After a maximum developmental at gaining knowledge about the suitability of Hermetia meal time (egg to larval stage L2/L3) of 10 days, larvae were as a replacer for soybean cake in poultry diets. The focus of transferred to grow-out units. Larvae were fed on vegetarian the experiment was on feed intake and conversion, laying by-products of the pasta and convenience food industry performance and welfare scores. until they reached the end of larval stage L5 after another 2-3 weeks. Larvae were harvested before they reached the 2. Animals, materials and methods pre-pupal stage due to the lower degree of sclerotisation of the cuticle and the resulting higher digestibility (Bosch et Experimental setup al., 2014). They were then harvested, killed (by freezing) and stored at -20 °C. Finally the larvae were washed, dried A feeding experiment was carried out with experimental at 60 °C for 24-34 h depending on the water content, ground flocks of 10 laying hens at the end of their laying period. and defatted by pressing. A commercial oil press (KK 20 For each round, 30 white hens (Lohmann Selected Leghorn F Universal; Screw Press, Reut, Germany) was used. The classic; 64-74 weeks old) were purchased from commercial resulting product was a brown Hermetia meal (colour organic flocks and randomly distributed to one of three comparable to fishmeal) with a crude fat concentration feeding groups. The experiment was repeated four of 110 g/kg and a crude protein concentration of 590 g/kg subsequent times with hens from different commercial (Table 1). flocks for each round. By choosing hens from different origins we expected a larger variability and thus a better external validity of results. Each feeding group was Table 1. Nutritional values of Hermetia illucens meal after drying housed in an experimental unit equipped with perches, at 60 °C only and drying followed by partly defatting (g/100 g litter, nests, feeders and drinkers. Space allowance in the fresh matter). experimental houses corresponded to the Swiss Animal Welfare Ordinance and to organic standards (BioSuisse, Dried, full fat Dried, partly defatted 2014). Hens had permanent access to a covered outdoor area (‘wintergarden’), but not to pasture. The experiment Dry matter 96.4 95.9 Crude protein 41.5 59.0 http://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/pdf/10.3920/JIFF2015.0071 - Tuesday, November 03, 2015 1:57:18 AM IP Address:212.249.198.9 started after one week of adaptation to housing conditions and to experimental diets (adaptation period). Hens were Methionine not analysed 0.98 then fed experimental diets for another 3 weeks (feeding Lysine not analysed 3.09 period). Crude fat 26.5 11.0 Crude ash 4.3 5.0 Hens started the adaptation period with no significant Calcium 0.80 0.98 difference in live weight between treatments (P=0.68). Phosphorus 0.50 0.63 Hens of round 2 were heavier at the start of the adaption Sodium 0.08 0.08 period than those of round 1 and 3 (P<0.01), with no Chloride 0.33 0.28 2Please cite this article as 'in press' JournalJournal of Insects of Insects as Food as Food and Feedand Feed 1(1) Hermetia illucens meal in diets for layers Feed composition mortality were recorded daily. Body weight as well as feather and wound scores according to Tauson et al. (2005) were Three isonitrogenous and isoenergetic experimental feeds recorded weekly, starting at the beginning of the adaptation were produced by a commercial organic feed manufacturer: period. Individual scores of neck feathers, breast feathers, a standard control feed containing 36 g/100 g soybean cake belly feathers, back feathers, tail feathers and wing feathers (‘control’), a feed containing 12 g/100 g Hermetia meal and were summed up to a new overall plumage score ranging 15.6 g/100 g soybean cake (‘H12’), and a feed with 24 g/100 g from 6 to 24, with 24 being the highest achievable overall Hermetia meal replacing 100% of the soybean (‘H24’).