Effects of dried black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae feed on growth performance and cost efficiency in crossbred village chickens
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25047/animpro.2025.867Keywords:
black soldier fly larvae, commercial diet, cost analysis, growth performance, Hermetia illucensAbstract
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of incorporating dried black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae into commercial feed on the growth performance and cost efficiency of crossbred village chickens. A total of 30 day-old chicks were randomly assigned to three treatment groups (n = 10 each): T1 (control, commercial concentrate), T2 (commercial concentrate with 5% dried larvae), and T3 (commercial concentrate with 10% dried larvae). The experiment was conducted over a period of 9 weeks (63 days). Body weight and feed intake were recorded weekly. At the end of the trial, final body weights were measured and feed cost was analyzed. Results showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) in final body weight among the groups; however, the inclusion of dried black soldier fly larvae significantly improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) (p < 0.001), with T2 and T3 showing improvements of 15.15% and 16.67% respectively compared to the control. Feed costs increased slightly with larvae inclusion, but the 10% inclusion level led to better net profit compared to the other groups. In conclusion, supplementing commercial diets with 10% dried black soldier fly larvae enhances feed efficiency and economic returns without increasing daily feed costs, making it a viable and sustainable alternative protein source for crossbred village chicken production.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Muhammad Ali Imran Mohamed Kamil, Amirul Faiz Mohd Azmi, Luqman Abu-Bakar, Muhammad Fikri Kamaruzzaman, Muhammad Fatih Misebah
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