Influence of diets based on black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) served to local chickens (Gallus gallus) raised in a real environment on their zootechnical performances in the Commune of Zè in Southern-Bénin

Abstract

The objective of the present work was to evaluate the influence of the incorporation of black soldiers flies in local chickens to feed on their zootechnical and economic performances. An experiment started with the production of maggots and then by a trial that consisted in comparing the influence of the following three diets served to 178 local day-old chicks raised and randomly distributed in rural areas: a control diet R₀ (usual feed); the two experimental R₁ (feed prepared with 7% of dried maggots) and R₂ (usual feed + 7% of fresh maggots). Data on parameters and variables in local chickens were collected over six weeks. The obtained results showed an improvement on the feed intake, the weight growth, GMQ, the feed conversion ratio of chicks fed with R₁ and R₂ diets compared to chicks fed with the diet R₀. Indeed, at six weeks of age, the feed intake of the chicks fed the three treatments was 45.89 ± 4.44 g MS for R₀, 49.88 ± 7.027 g MS for R₁ R₂ 67.28 ± 17.81 g MS and for. The average daily gain recorded in a local chicken throughout the trial was 37.7 ± 0.57 g at the one fed with R₀, 75.4 ± 0.72 g at the one fed with R₁ and 87.6±0.49 g at the one fed with R₂. The local chickens fed with diets containing maggots had a lower mortality rate than the local chickens fed with control diet. The feed cost of the diet R₁ was lower than that of the diet R₀ and that of the diet R₂ was slightly higher. However, the feed efficiency index of the two diets R₁ and R₂ containing the protein source was higher than that of the control diet R₀. In short the incorporation of black soldier fly maggots into the feed of local chickens not only improves their zootechnical parameters but also the economic income of the agro-breeder.