The effects of cricket meal (Gryllus sigillatus) on the meat quality, growth, and internal morphology of broiler chickens

Cricket (Gryllus sigillatus) meal (CM) was fed to Ross 308 broiler chickens (n=624 total; 26 birds/pen) at dietary inclusion rates of 0% (non-medicated control; NM), 0% (medicated control; 0.05% virginiamycin, 0.03% monensin), 5, 10, 15, and 20% CM (non-medicated) for 35 days to determine the impact of this novel feed ingredient on the growth, feed intake, organ indices, and meat quality of these chickens. The final average live weight of broilers fed 5% CM was lower than broilers fed the 10% CM (P<0.05) and the 0% NM diets (P<0.05). Total weight gain was lowest in chickens fed 5% CM (P<0.05) and the % ratio of the weight of the small intestine to body weight of the chickens fed 5% CM was significantly higher on day 20 than that of the other treatments (P<0.05). Meat texture and colour were not affected by dietary treatments. Cooking loss in birds fed the 10% CM diet was significantly higher than that of birds fed the 0% NM control. Feeding up to 20% CM did not alter the growth, organ indices, or meat quality of broiler chickens, although further research is required to determine whether including >20% CM in the diet will produce similar results.