The impact of choice feeding with the black soldier fly larvae ('Hermetia illucens') on egg quality in free range laying hens

Abstract

Introduction: Insects, such as the Black Soldier Fly larvae ('Hermetia illucens', BSF), could be considered as an alternative protein sources as they have high crude protein content (De Marco et al, 2015). In Australia, free-range egg production is a rapidly growing sector, with an estimated retail market value share of 51%. Extensive hen housing, on-range feeding and choice feeding are all common practices in smaller enterprises (Ruhnke et al., 2016). The hypothesis of the present study was that choice feeding with black soldier fly larvae would not affect egg quality in free range laying hens.