Black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) is characterized with good nutritional and functional attributes. However, there is limited data on inclusion of BSFLM in broiler chicken rations from placement through to market weight. Therefore, we examined growth and organ responses of partial to complete replacement of soybean meal (SBM) with BSFLM in a practical feeding program. A total of 1,152 d-old male Ross × Ross 708 chicks were allocated to 48 pens and assigned one of six diets (n = 8). The diets were: a basal corn-SBM diet (0%BSFLM), 4 diets in which SBM in 0%BSFLM was replaced with BSFLM at 12.5, 25, 50, and 100% and a final diet (0 + AGP) in which 0%BSFLM was treated with coccidiostat (70 mg Narasin/kg) and antibiotic (55 mg Bacitracin Methylene Disalicylate/kg). For energy fortification, soy oil was used for 0%BSFLM diets and black soldier fly oil in the other diets. Body weight, feed intake (FI), BW gain (BWG), and mortality-corrected feed conversion ratio (FCR) were reported. Organ weights were recorded on d 24 and 49. On d 10, birds fed diets 12.5, 25, and 0 + AGP had higher BWG than birds fed diets 0, 50, and 100 (P < 0.01), and birds fed diet 100 had lower BWG than birds fed diets 0 or 50 (P < 0.01). Birds fed diets 50 and 100 had lower BWG than birds fed all other diets on d 24 and 49 (P < 0.05). Overall (d 0–49), BSFLM linearly (P < 0.01) decreased BW, BWG, and FI and increased FCR and mortality. The overall BWG of 50 and 100% BSFLM birds was 92 and 81% of birds fed 0%BSFLM, repectively and coresponding overall FI was 96 and 90%. An increase in gizzard, small intestine, pancreas, and liver relative weights were observed with increasing BSFLM inclusion (P < 0.01). The data indicated that lower levels of BSFLM could provide some growth-promoting effects commensurate to antibiotics in the starter phase. However, replacing SBM with greater amounts (≥50) of BSFLM reduced growth and increased organ size.

Black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) is receiving great attention as a rich source of protein and antimicrobials for poultry. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of partially or completely replacing soybean meal (SBM) with commercial BSFLM on growth performance, tibia traits, cecal short chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations, and excreta metabolomes in broiler chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus). A total of 480 day-old male Ross × Ross 708 chicks were assigned to 6 diets (8 replicates/diet): a basal corn-SBM diet with in-feed bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD), a corn-SBM diet without BMD (0% BSFLM), and four diets in which the SBM was substituted with 12.5, 25, 50, and 100% BSFLM. Body weight (BW), feed intake (FI) and cumulative feed conversion ratio (cFCR) were monitored on days 14, 28, and 35. Cecal SCFA levels were determined on days 14, 28, and 35. Tibia traits and excreta metabolomes were determined on day (d) 35. On d14, birds fed 12.5 and 25% BSFLM had a similar BW, FI, and cFCR as birds fed BMD (P > 0.05). On d 35, birds fed 12.5% BSFLM had a similar BW, FI and cFCR as birds fed BMD or 0% BSFLM (P > 0.05). For each phase, birds fed 100% BSFLM had a lower BW, FI and higher cFCR than birds fed BMD or 0% BSFLM (P < 0.05). On d 35, BW decreased linearly, quadratically, and cubically with increasing levels of BSFLM (P < 0.01). Overall (d 0-35), BSFLM linearly, quadratically, and cubically decreased FI and quadratically and cubically increased cFCR (P < 0.01). Quadratic responses were observed for tibia fresh weight (P = 0.049) and ash content (P = 0.022). BSFLM did not impact cecal SCFAs levels. The excreta metabolome of birds fed 100% BSFLM clustered independently from all other groups and exhibited greater levels of putatively identified methionine, lysine, valine, glutamine, histidine and lower levels of arginine as compared to all diets. Taken together, substitution of SBM with ≤25% of BSFLM in the starter phase may be used as an alternative to BMD.

This study evaluated effects of feeding low-bush wild blueberry (LBP) and organic American cranberry (CRP) pomaces without or with multienzyme supplement (ENZ) on growth performance, organ weight and plasma metabolites in broiler chickens. Nonenzyme-fed (no-ENZ: n = 1,575) and enzyme-fed (ENZ: n = 1,575) day-old male Cobb500 broilers were placed in floor pens (45 chicks/pen) and allocated to five corn-soybean meal-based diets: a basal diet supplemented with either bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD, 55 mg/kg), 0.5 or 1% of CRP or LBP in a 2 × 5 factorial design for 35-day experiment. Body weight (BW), feed intake (FI) and mortality were recorded whereas BW gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were calculated. Birds were sampled at days 21 and 35 for organ weights and plasma metabolites. There were no interactions between diet and ENZ on any parameter (P > 0.05) and no effect of ENZ on overall (d 0-35) growth performance and organ weights (P > 0.05). Birds fed BMD were heavier (P < 0.05) at d 35 and had better overall FCR than berry-supplemented birds. Birds fed 1% LBP had poor FCR than birds fed 0.5% CRP. Birds fed LBP exhibited heavier liver (P < 0.05) than birds fed BMD or 1% CRP. The highest plasma concentrations of aspartate transaminase (AST), creatine kinase (CK) at d 28 and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) at d 35 were found in ENZ-fed birds (P < 0.05). At d 28, birds fed 0.5% LBP showed higher plasma AST and CK concentrations (P < 0.05). However, CRP feeding resulted in a lower plasma CK level compared with BMD feeding (P < 0.05). The lowest cholesterol level was detected in 1% CRP-fed birds. In conclusion, this study showed no ENZ effects to potentiate berry pomaces on the overall growth performance of broilers (P < 0.05. However, plasma profiles revealed the potential of ENZ to modulate the metabolism of pomace-fed broilers. LBP increased BW during the starter phase, while CRP increased BW during the grower phase.

We previously reported that high levels (≥50%) of black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) reduced growth and altered organs morphology in broiler chickens. Herein we further examined gastrointestinal, breast, bone, plasma, and litter attributes in broiler chickens fed partial to complete replacement of soybean meal (SBM) with BSFLM. A total of 1152 day-old Ross × Ross 708 male chicks ( n = 8) were allocated to 48 pens and assigned one of six diets: a basal corn-SBM diet (0BSFLM), four diets in which SBM in 0BSFLM was replaced with BSFLM at 12.5%, 25%, 50%, and 100% (12.5BSFLM, 25BSFLM, 50BSFLM, and 100BSFLM) and a final diet (0 + AGP) in which 0BSFLM was fed with coccidiostat and antibiotic. Birds were bled for plasma and necropsied for samples. Litter samples were collected on days 45 to 47. Breast weight, woody breast, and hardness scores and tibia morphometry reduced linearly in response to BSFLM inclusion ( P < 0.001). BSFLM linearly increased plasma Lys, Met, Thr, uric acid, creatine kinase and decreased Arg and potassium ( P < 0.05). Litter ammonium nitrogen and potassium decreased linearly in response to BSFLM ( P < 0.001). In conclusion, the data suggested physiological and metabolic inefficiencies in broiler chickens fed isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets with ≥50% BSFLM replacement of SBM.

Alternative feed additives are being investigated due to the restriction of antibiotics use to decrease antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in food-producing animals. This study investigated the effects of dietary American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) and wild blueberry (V. angustifolium) pomaces on the cecal microbiota and resistome profiles as well as the short-chain fatty acid levels. Male broiler chickens Cobb500 were fed a basal diet with either 55 ppm bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD); 0.5% (CRP0.5) and 1% (CRP1) cranberry pomace; and 0.5% (LBP0.5) and 1% (LBP1) lowbush blueberry pomace with or without a multienzyme mixture (ENZ). The results showed that at 21 days of age, the total coliform counts decreased in the CRP0.5-fed birds compared to BMD (p < 0.05). The use of pomace significantly increased the abundance of Lactobacillus and Bacteroides regardless of ENZ, while CRP decreased the Proteobacteria phylum abundance. In-feed ENZ tended to increase the relative abundance of genes conferring aminoglycoside resistance. Treatment with CRP0.5 decreased the abundance of cepA genes encoding for macrolide (MACROLIDE) and lincomycin (InuD) resistance while increasing those for tetracycline (tetO and tetX) resistance. These results showed, for the first time, the potential of the studied enzymes in influencing berry pomace’s effects on antimicrobial resistance gene profiles in broilers.