Enhancing Poultry Sustainability: Black Soldier Fly Effects on Laying Hen Welfare and Microbiota

Historically chickens eat live insects while today poultry farming is based on soybean, linked to deforestation and GHGs emissions. The insect “Black soldier fly” (BSF) is emerging as alternative and sustainable protein source. Were evaluated the effects of live BSF larvae supplementation on Lohman hens, in terms of feathering score (FS), microbiota (M), excreta corticosterone (EC). 108 birds (16-34 weeks (w) age) were housed in 27 cages and 3 groups: C (control) fed commercial feed, G1 and G2 fed commercial feed plus live BSF (15%-30% of the expected DFI, respectively). After monthly evaluations, FS, EC data were elaborated by “time”, “diet”, their interaction; while M informed on Alpha-Beta diversity, differential abundance. FS wasn’t affected by diet (P<0.001), EC concentration was influenced by diet and time being lower in G1-G2 than C (P<0.001) and decreasing at the end of the trial (P<0.01). Occurred higher Alpha-Beta M diversity in G1 and G2, with Lactobacillus and Clostridiales concentration positively affected by diet and time. The supplementation of BSF live larvae represents a sustainable protein source for the poultry sector, able to improve animal welfare.