Evaluation of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae as a Protein Source in Broiler Diets

The aim of this research is to evaluate sustainably of the locally produced black soldier fly 
(Hermetia illucens) larvae {BSFL) in broiler production systems as a potential alternative protein source that can be used as a partial replacement for soybean meal, by determining the apparent metabolizable energy content and standardized ilea I digestibility of amino acid in full-fat BSFL produced from three different food waste streams in order to establish a genuine improvement in describing the protein quality of feed for broilers. Moreover, evaluating the effects of different incisions of BSFL on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, meat quality, immune response and gut microbiota to determine the optimum inclusion that maximizes the production efficiency of the broiler. Upon successful completion of this research, the outcomes of this project are expected to define the amino acid content and their digestibility coefficients of BSFL produced from three different food waste streams. These outcomes will generate the data that is required for industry applications to adopt some of the new feeding strategies and improve sustainability using alternative feed ingredients produced in Australia to maintain efficiency and reduce feed costs in chicken production.