Effects of adding mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.) as a replacement for fish meal to broiler diet on performance, nutrient digestibility and meat quality

Objective: The effects of feeds containing different levels of mealworm instead of fish meal as a protein source on broiler chick were investigated. Material and Methods: In this study 100 one day old Ross 308 male broiler chicks were used. Chicks were divided into 5 groups of 20 animals each and housed in individual metabolism cages. In this study starter and finisher diets were prepared for the control and treatment groups in which fish meal was substituted with mealworm meal (UKU) at 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. The animals were fed starter feed on days 0-21 and finisher feed on days 22-35. The study lasted for 35 days. At the beginning of the experiment and weekly terms weighings; live weight, feed consumption, live weight gain and feed conversion ratio were calculated. Results: As a result of the study, the replacing fish meal more than 25% mealworm were found to be adversely affecting the body weight, live weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion rate, carcass weight data. Dry matter digestion (DMD), organic matter digestion (OMD) and crude fat digestion (CFD), which are among the nutrient digestibility parameters, were also statistically significantly decreased by replacing more than 25% of fish meal with mealworms. Metabolic energy and nitrogen-corrected metabolic energy values were found to be statistically significantly higher in the feed in which fish meal was replaced by 100% mealworm (P<0,05). Conclusion: The findings show that mealworm can be used as an alternative protein source in broiler diets instead of fish meal at a maximum rate of 25%. However, it was concluded that better results can be obtained with the addition of enzymes or amino acids.