Ground Yellow Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor L.) Feed Supplementation Improves Growth Performance and Carcass Yield Characteristics in Broilers

by Open Science Repository Agriculture
(September 2013)

Abstract

Effects of ground yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor L.as feed supplements on the growth performance and carcass yield in broilers were assessed. The study used 5 treatments at inclusion levels of 0, 0.5, 1, 2 and 10% ground yellow mealworms, and replicated twice. Results showed that overall body weight gain was significantly higher in T₂ group (1486 g) compared with control (1307 g), T₁ (1360 g), T₃ (1484 g) and T₄ (1470 g) groups. Overall feed conversion ratio values were significantly better for control group (2.10) compared with T₁ (1.94), T₂ (1.90), T₃ (1.87) and T₄ (1.72) groups, which shows a decreasing trend of FCR when the percentage of ground yellow mealworm added increases. The T₃ group remained significantly superior (P<0.0001) over the other groups in three weight categories of the carcass yield, which are slaughter weight, dressed carcass weight and eviscerated weight. Trends were highly variable among all internal organs. However, control group showed the highest mean weight (37.63 g) as compared to all other treatments. T₂ had the highest abdominal fat weight (P<0.0001), while T₃ had the lowest. Small intestines from T₂ had significantly higher than all other treatments. T₂ group showed significantly high percentage of moisture in the thigh region as compared to the control and other treatment groups, whereas T₂ had the lowest moisture content in the breast area. T₄ group showed the highest percentage of fat for thigh and breast, 6.30% and 1.25%, respectively. There is a slight increase of protein content in the treatment groups as compared to the control group. T₂ showed the highest percentage of protein in the breast portion of the meat. It is therefore concluded that addition of ground yellow mealworms to common feedstuff can improve the growth performance and carcass yield of broiler chickens. Specifically, inclusion level of 2% ground yellow mealworms projected the best results.

Keywords: yellow mealworms, feed supplementation, growth performance, carcass yield, broilers.

Full text

Ground Yellow Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor L.) Feed Supplementation Improves Growth Performance and Carcass Yield Characteristics in Broilers