Effects of adding mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.) as a replacement for fish meal to broiler chicken diet on performance, carcass parameters, meat quality and nutrient digestibility.

Abstract

The objective of the study was to investigate how substituting fish meal (FM) with mealworm larval (Tenebrio molitor L.) meal (TM) in the diet affects the growth performance, meat quality, nutrient digestibility, and carcass of broiler chicks. A total of one hundred chicks were divided into five groups, each containing twenty birds. The fish meal was replaced with mealworm meal at different levels of 25% (TM25), 50% (TM50), 75% (TM75), and 100% (TM100) in the diets. At the end of the study, replacing different levels the fish meal with mealworms linearly suppressed nutrient digestion, growth, carcass parameters, and water holding capacity and cooking loss. However, the best energy efficiency ratios were obtained in the TM100 group. Consequently, it was concluded that replacement of FM with mealworm up to 25% had no adverse effect on growth performance, carcass parameters, meat quality and nutrient utilization efficiency of broiler chickens.