Insect Meal: Alternative unconventional Feed Resources

Insect Meal: Alternative unconventional Feed Resources

Tapan Kumar Das^a, Debolina Kar^b and Rijusmita Sarma Deka^c

^aAssistant Professor, Department of Livestock Farm Complex, College of Veterinary Sciences & A.H., R.K., Nagar, West Tripura- 799008

^bPh.D Scholar, West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences, Kolkata-700037

^cKrishi Vigyan Kendra, Morigaon,AAU

 

Abstract

Poultry industry is growing rapidly to meet the increased demand of protein as meat and egg for human. For sustainable poultry production quality feed is essential. Feed cost in poultry accounts for 60-80% of production cost. Soybean meal and fish meal forms the large part of protein in poultry feed. Availability of soybean meal is decreasing for animal production because of its use in human food. Insects which are a rich source of protein, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins and mineral can form a very good alternative source of unconventional protein for poultry as well as livestock.

Key words: Poultry, feed, insect

 

Introduction:

In poultry production, feed cost is approximately 70% of the total cost. Fish meal and soybean meal are mostly used as conventional protein sources in poultry feed. Nowadays the cost of soybean meal throughout the world is rising which increases feed cost. Scientists are searching some alternatives which should be available, efficient, and inexpensive. Insects are natural foods for poultry. Backyard poultry used to pick up worms, and larvae from the grass, soil, and litter where they walk. Insects can consume animal manure, and food wastes, and thereby reducing pollution. Insects convert waste into proteins, and reduce total nitrogen excretion, odors, and methane emission, thus reduce up to 80% of waste mass. The use of insects as unconventional source in poultry feed is one of the potential solution to improve the sustainability of poultry farming. More than 2000 species of insects are available for use in poultry diets. Insect meal contains a greater amount of protein and essential amino acids compared to conventional feedstuffs. It can be used as a live, dried, and meal form for poultry diets. However, dried insect is suitable for poultry diet because the water content in fresh or live insect stimulates the degradation, antimicrobial activity, and Millard reaction.

The insects mainly consist of chitin, which improves the immune system and reduces antibiotic use thus, promoting animal health. Insects also contain antimicrobial peptides that are active against microbial resistant, bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. Besides it is being used in medicines for wounds, infections, cancer, flatulence, phlegm, spasms and anticoagulation. In addition, insects are enriched in fatty acids (lauric acid) that have antimicrobial properties. Insect meal in poultry diets increases the palatability for chickens. Feeding insect (grasshoppers) to chickens improved the shelf life of the meat. Using insect meal in diet reduces feed cost, and enhances the performance and health of broiler and layer chickens. Therefore, insect meal is an acceptable and preferable source of alternative source of protein for poultry.

Advantages of insect as meal:

1. Large biodiversity and short life cycle
2. Present in ecosystem and colonize a wide range of habitats
3. Present in large no and produces large quantity biomass
4. Breeding cost is low
5. Breeding can be controlled easily
6. Rich in protein
7. Production rate is high
8. Better FCR than other animals (insects can convert 2 Kg of feed into 1 Kg of insect mass, whereas cattle require 8 Kg of feed to produce 1 Kg of body weight gain)
9. Release less green house gas and ammonia than other livestock
10. Least quantity resources are needed. Area less than 0 m² and water needed less than 0 m³. They have the potential to yield 200 times the amount of protein per hectare per year as soy and do not require vast fertile land.
11. Insect can replace 25-100% of soybean meal or fish meal in broiler and layer diet.
12. Low-cost unconventional feed resources
13. Insects play a vital role in waste biodegradation by breaking down organic matter so that nutrients are available in the soil for plant growth
14. Using nutrient in waste, insect reduce the risk of organic pollution.
15. There is less risk of transmitting zoonotic diseases via insect than livestock species.

Substrate approved for rearing of insect:

1. Food used as meat, fish
2. Slaughter house by-products
3. Food waste refusal from restaurant (animal and vegetable origin)
4. Pig, poultry and cattle manure and their intestinal contents
5. Human manure, kitchen wastage

Optimum temperature and relative humidity:

Meal worm: Time need- 8-10 wks, temperature -28-30⁰C, Relative humidity- 60%

House fly: Time need- 72 hrs, temperature -25-30⁰C, Relative humidity- 60-75%

BSF: Time need- 4-7 months, temperature -27.5-37.5⁰C, Relative humidity- 70%

Female housefly lays 750 eggs in a week and the larvae increase in weight over 400 times in just a few days and Black Soldier Fly can develop from egg to adult in just 38 days.

Preparation of insect meal:

                        Left over food, cow manure, hotel wastage etc

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Insect grows and lay eggs

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Larvae developed, some grow into adult to lay more eggs

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Separation of larvae

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Processing (cleaning, drying, and grinding):Whole insect meal

(Cleaning, drying, and grinding, fat removal): Defatted insect meal

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Used as unconventional feed

 

Harvesting methods:

1. Flotation methods: manure mixed with water and floating larvae and pupae collected by sieve
2. Screening methods: manure is spread in a thin layer on 3 mm screen net over a basin, larvae come out through screen and collected into the basin. Then larvae are washed, killed in hot water, dried and grounded used a s insect meal

Disadvantage:

1. Legislative problem: due to different feed safely and quality laws, use of insect as animal feed is not fully adopted. Nutrient sources have to be tested on regular basis to control the risk of bacterial or heavy metal contamination.
2. Huge production facility: one good production unit of insect can supply about one ton per day. So, considering this, if these insects are to be used in ration of broiler and layer, around million tons of insects are to be produced per day and for that some small-scale companies/entrepreneurships are needed.
3. Costly processing methods: For processing of larvae in to meal form, costly equipment’s are needed
4. Animal welfare issues: Insect to be reared with no pain, injury. So, animal welfare issues are also taken into account for rearing these species.
5. Insects are recognized as disease carriers and there is a threat that insect borne diseases could transfer to poultry, and humans
6. Wide variation of proximate composition due to various species, developmental stages and different processing methods.

 

Commercialization of insect meal:

Mass-rearing system of insect is taking place in many countries. China already started use of insects in aquaculture. In developing countries, small-scale businesses enterprises already used to produce insects as poultry feed. INSECTIFII i.e. India’s first commercial scale insect farming business enterprises uses black soldier fly larvae to convert urban organic waste into high value insect protein which replaces water and climate intensive plant protein as well as overharvested and depleting fish protein used in animal feed. But large-scale insect production unit is essentially required to meet up the huge demand of animal protein for fast growing broiler and commercial layer.

Common insect species used as poultry feed:

1. Black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens)
2. Housefly (Musca domestica)
3. Mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor)
4. Earthworm
5. Grasshoppers
6. Locust (Schistocerca gregaria)
7. Crickets (Gryllus testaceus walker)
8. Silkworm
9. Cirina forda (westwood)

 

Chemical composition of different insect species:

 

Insect	Availability	CP%	EE%	CF%	Ash%	Energy (Kcal/kg)	Remarks
Black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens)	naturally found in poultry, pig and cattle manure	35-61	7-42	7	14.6-28.40	GE-5278.49	DM-35-45%Lysine 0.34-3.30%, methionine- 0.08-0.90%, threonine-0.22-2.26%, valine 0.33-3.38%, Ca- 1.21-4.39%, P- 0.74-0.95%could replace fish meal or soybean meal in broiler and layer.
Housefly (Musca domestica)	grow on poultry, pig and cattle manure	40-64	2.5-28	3-10	5-11	ME- 4800	Could be replacement of broiler and layer feed
Mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor)	grown on dried and cooked waste materials from fruits, vegetables	27-54	4-34	5-8.8	3-4.5	ME- 5258	Rich in oleic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid, vitamin B2, B5, B6, B3, biotin and choline, Ca- 434.59 ppm, P- 7060 ppm. suitable alternative protein source for broiler
Earthworm	Natural feed source for poultry	41-66	3.5-18	1.15	43.50	ME- 3525	Lysine 3.33%, methionine- 0.96%, Ca-0.93%, P- 0.50%, 2% and 3% of earthworm meal along with 1% vermi humus improved the FCR of broiler chickens
Grasshoppers	croplands, grasslands, wetlands and paddocks	29-77.10	4.18-15.86	2-9	11-14.5	ME-3923-4018	Lysine-4.29%, threoninw-3.75%, rich in linoleic acid, rich in Mg, vitamin B3
Locust (Schistocerca gregaria)	Harvested on organic waste	89	3.9			ME- 2714	Lysine 4.79$%, methionine 1.93%, Ca- 0.26%, P- 0.44%, rich in B complex vitamins
Silkworm	available after the removal of silk cocoons through spinning	71.90	20.10		4.0	706-988 KJ as such basis	Rich in vitamin E, linolenic acid, can replace fish meal and soybean meal
Cirina forda (westwood)		46.5-79.6	10.89	8.42	8.7		Rich in linolenic acid and stearic acid, potential alternative to fish meal

 

Conclusions

With the increase number of human population and changing food consumption pattern there is increase demand of protein in terms of meat and egg.  Therefore, in order to meet future requirement, need of hour is to explore new alternative protein sources. Poultry are evolutionarily adapted to insects as a natural part of their diet. Due to high nutritional value and ubiquitous presence in nature, insects are a potential sustainable feed resource in poultry nutrition. The costs of conventional feed materials such as SBM and FM are increasing day by day and moreover, future availability may be limited. The inclusion of insect meals as an alternative protein source in poultry diets may lower the cost of feeds, thus contributing to the more profitability of smallholder poultry production. Value of insects as feed component not only improves livelihood of small farmers but also changes the food system into efficient climate resilient and nutrition driven element of a circular economy. Several studies reported that soybean meal or fish meal can be totally or partially replaced with insect meal without hampering the performances in broiler and layer.

 

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