ABSTRACT
A study was conducted to determine the influence of feed substituted with full-fat Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) on growth performance and blood profile of IPB D1 chickens for 11 weeks. Five hundred and fifteen IPB D1 chickens were randomly divided into three treatment groups (T0, T1, and T2) comprised of one hundred and seventy-one chicks (T0), and one hundred and seventy-two chicks for each T1 and T2 treatment with three repetitions that consist of fifty-five to sixty chickens. The groups consist of control feed ration (without BSFL)/ T0), 5% BSFL (T1), and 7.5% BSFL (T2). Each treatment level was used for two kinds of diets, starter (0–7 weeks) and grower (8–11 weeks). The variable observed were feed intake, body weight, feed conversion, mortality, and blood profile (RBC, WBC, HB, leucocyte differentiation). Data collected were subjected to a One-way analysis of variance. Results show an insignificant effect (p>0.05) on the growth performance parameters. Body weight at treatment T0, T1, and T2 are 609.31 ± 50.45 g/bird; 588.67 ± 8.11 g/bird; and 604.44 ± 7.70 g/bird respectively at the end of the starter period (8 weeks), and 992 ± 84.5 g/bird; 937.08 ± 15.95 g/bird; and 957.9 ± 61.49 g/bird respectively at 11 weeks. The IPB D1 Chicken fed with T2 diet (7.5% BSFL) had the best Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) of the other treatment at the starter period and grower period. The chickens fed with T2 diet had the highest hemoglobin level than other treatments, and total RBC was at normal standard. These findings suggest that the substitution of BSFL on feed (7.5%) potential to increase feed efficiency and show a normal level of hemoglobin and RBC.
