Evaluation of blow fly, Chrysomya megacephala (Calliphoridae: Diptera) as an alternate source of protein in broiler feed

Poultry industry is one of the fastest growing agri-businesses in the world. However, the usage of expensive soybean meal and fishmeal as poultry feed ingredients is making it less profitable and environmentally unsustainable. Insects are becoming more popular as an alternate protein source in poultry feed because they are more sustainable, cost-efficient and eco-friendly than most of the conventional poultry feed sources. In the present study, we replaced 4%, 8% and 12% soybean meal with blow fly, Chrysomya megacephala (Calliphoridae: Diptera) larvae and evaluated its impact on growth performances, hematological parameters, intestinal morphometry and meat quality of Ross 308 broiler. For comparison, we also evaluated commercially available full fat Hermetia illucens (Stratiomyidae: Diptera) larvae. Three hundred and fifty 1-day-old chicks with initial weight of 40.28 g/chick were randomly divided into seven experimental diets (5 pens per treatment and 10 birds per pen). All the dietary treatments were isocaloric and isonitrogenous, meeting the nutrient requirements of the broilers. The results revealed that the broiler fed on 12% C. megacephala or H. illucens had significantly higher () live weight, average daily weight gain and better feed conversion ratios. The diets containing 12% C. megacephala or H. illucens significantly improved the blood haematology and serum bio-chemistry in the broiler. The gut histological indices of jejunum and ileum such as villus height (Vh), crypt depth (Cd), villus width (Vw), and Vh/Cd ratios also improved by the feeding of 12% C. megacephala and H. illucens diets. The broiler fed on 12% H. illucens diet showed higher L* (lightness) and a* (redness), while those fed on 12% C. megacephala showed higher b* (yellowness) in breast meat (Pectoralis major). Both species performed equally well in growth performance, haematology, serum bio-chemistry, gut histology and meat quality. It was concluded that replacement of soybean meal with 12% C. megacephala or H. illucens larvae improves the growth performance, blood haematology, gut histology and meat color and lightness traits of broiler and thus can be used as an alternate source of protein in broiler feed.