Maggot meal as a substitute for fish meal in laying chicken diet

Abstract

A 56-day experiment was conducted to determine thereplacement value of maggot meal for fish meal in diet of laying chicken. Fish meal was included at 30 g kg-1 of the control diet. Maggot meal incrementally replaced fish meal at 250, 500, 750, and 1000 g kg-1 on crude protein basis. The five diets were fed to a total of 120 36-week- old Nera breed-laying chickens. Inclusion of various amounts of maggot meal in laying chicken diets had no significant impact on daily feed intake, hen-day egg production, egg weight, feed efficiency, and liveability. Aspects of egg external and internal quality characteristics measured were identical (P>0.05); however, albumen weight (as percent of egg weight) was significantly (P<0.05) high in birds fed with diet which contained equiprotein inclusion of both fish and maggot meal. Egg yolk cholesterol and calcium concentration were significantly reduced (P<0.05) with increased inclusion of maggot meal in laying chickens' diet. The use of maggot meal in poultry rations may reduce cholesterol intake through consumption of eggs. It is concluded that maggot meal can nutritionally and productively replace fish meal in layer diet without adverse consequences on performance and egg quality characteristics.


Ghana Jnl agric. Sci. Vol.31(2) 1998: 137-142