Improvements in Performance of Nursery Pigs Provided with Supplemental Oil Derived from Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae

Abstract

The current study evaluated the impact of increasing levels of supplemental black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) oil, a novel and sustainable feed ingredient, on growth performance and blood chemistry indices in nursery pigs. Pigs were weaned at 21 days of age (n = 192; body weight = 6.9 ± 0.15 kg) and randomly allotted within sex and body weight to 1 of 4 dietary treatments, using 48 pens (4 pigs/pen). Treatments contained 0, 2, 4, or 6% supplemental BSFL oil, replacing equivalent quantities of corn oil. A 3-phase feeding program was used with 14, 11, and 15 days for phase 1 to 3, respectively. Supplementation of BSFL oil linearly (p ≤ 0.052) improved pig body weight and daily gain throughout the study and overall. No differences were observed in feed intake; however, feed efficiency was linearly improved with BSFL oil supplementation for phase 1 and 2 (p < 0.05). Serum cholesterol increased linearly (p = 0.002) and platelet count tended to increase linearly (p = 0.082) with increasing BSFL oil. No other differences were detected in blood chemistry and all results were within normal ranges. In conclusion, BSFL oil is a valuable, energy-dense feed ingredient that can promote growth performance of nursery pigs.