Potential of Black Soldier Fly Larvae, Hermetia illucens (Diptera-Stratiomydae) as a Feed Supplement for Arbor Acres Broiler Poultry in Burkina Faso

Abstract

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of incorporating black soldier fly larvae meal into the diet of Arbor acres broiler chickens on their zootechnical performance. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted from July to August 2025 on a private farm located in the center of Ziniaré, in the province of Oubritenga, about 36 km from Ouagadougou. Methodology: A total of 200 unsexed day-old chicks with an average initial live weight of 46.85 ± 1.5 g were reared from day 1 to day 56 and randomly divided into two experimental groups: a control group (n = 100) and an experimental group (n = 100), each subdivided into two replicates of 50 chicks. The incorporation rates of Hermetia illucens larvae meal were set at 1% during the starter phase and 2% during the grower phase. Results: The results revealed significant differences in growth performance between the two groups. The chickens in the experimental group had a significantly higher live weight than those in the control group during the start-up phase (134.82 ± 1.05 g vs. 125.91 ± 1.50 g; P = 0.001), growth (949.31 ± 1.40 g vs. 824.24 ± 1.40 g; P = 0.0001), and finishing (2920.09 ± 9.41 g vs. 2101.71 ± 9.42 g; P = 0.0001). No significant difference in the average daily gain was observed between the first and third weeks; however, a significant improvement was observed from the fourth week onwards (P = 0.0001). The feed conversion ratio showed no significant difference during the starter and grower phases and remained low overall in both groups. However, a significant difference was recorded during the finisher phase. Conclusion: Black soldier fly larvae meal has significant potential as an alternative, sustainable, and efficient protein source that can partially replace conventional protein sources in broiler chicken feed.