PSXIII-B-10 - Effects of Termite (Hodotermopsis Sjostedti) Meal Supplement in Broiler Chicken Diets on Growth and Intake

Abstract: Effects of partial replacement of fishmeal with termite (Hodotermopsis sjostedti) meal in chicken diets on BW, ADG, intake, and organ and meat weight were tested with Chunky broiler female chickens in two experiments. In Exp.1, 20 chickens (8 d of age and 239 ± 3.0 g BW initially) were allocated in individual pens and assigned one of the four diet treatments; commercial diet with fishmeal supplement (0.0%) and replacement of fishmeal with freeze-dried ground termite meal of 0.5%, 2.5%, and 5.0%. In Exp.2, 18 chickens (9 d of age and 309 ± 3.8 g BW initially) were assigned one of the three diet treatments; commercial diet (COM), 2.5% fishmeal supplement (FM), and 2.5% termite meal supplement (TM). At 21 d old, chickens were slaughtered, and meat and organ weight were measured. Treatment diet CP concentrations resulted in 29.7 and 27.9% DM for Exp.1 and Exp.2, respectively. There was no treatment effect (P>0.05) on BW, ADG, intake, feed conversion rate, meat (i.e., thigh, breast fillet, and inner breast fillet) weights, or organ (i.e., liver, heart, spleen, gizzard, proventriculus, and intestine) weight in both experiments. In Exp.1, empty cecum weight was greater (P=0.03) when termite meal was not included (0.37, 0.33, 0.31, and 0.31 % per shrunk BW for 0.0%, 0.5%, 2.5%, and 5.0%, respectively; SE=0.022). Similarly, whole cecum weight (0.38, 0.54, and 0.40 % per shrunk BW for COM, FM, and TM, respectively; SE=0.043) and cecum fill (0.08, 0.21, and 0.09 % per shrunk BW for COM, FM, and TM, respectively; SE=0.037) were greater (P=0.05) for FM than COM and TM in Exp.2. In conclusion, termite meal supplements did not have either favorable or adverse effects on the growth or weight of meat and organs except cecum weight. Further investigation is needed for cecum function and meat quality.