Potential of Superworm Frass (Zophobas morio [Fabricius, 1776]) as a Source of Dietary Protein for the Growth Performance of Heritage Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the potential of varying levels of superworm frass as a source of dietary protein in improving the growth performance of heritage chicks. Three dietary treatments were evaluated in the feeding trial. Diet A (Commercial feed, basal diet) served as a negative control, while two (2) levels of superworm frass (5% and 10% supplement) served as components of Diets B and C, respectively. Chemical analysis revealed that superworm frass contained 78.34% DM, 5.03% CP, 0.18% EE, 34.96% NDF, 7.5% ash, and a gross energy content of 2396 cal/g.  In terms of voluntary feed intake (VFI), results revealed that Diet C showed a negative linear effect at Day 56 and overall VFI. Moreover, cumulative weight gain (CWG) at Day 14 showed a quadratic tendency and at Day 70 showed a linear tendency, which indicated that when the concentration of superworm frass increased from 5% to 10%, the CWG likewise increased. Body weight (BW) of chicken showed a quadratic tendency at Day 14. Furthermore, ADG of heritage chicken showed a quadratic tendency at Day 14 and a linear tendency at Day 70, respectively. Meanwhile, FCR at Day 70 showed a linear tendency, which indicates that when the concentration of superworm frass increased from 5 to 10%, the FCR of chicken also decreased, which resulted to a better FCR value. Chickens supplemented with superworm frass showed a better FCR value compared to chickens fed with Diet A (control). Superworm frass showed great potential as a dietary supplement for heritage chickens by enhancing weight gain and feed efficiency. These findings suggest that superworm frass may serve as a sustainable and alternative protein source in poultry nutrition, with practical implications for reducing feed costs and promoting the utilization of organic waste materials in livestock production systems. This contributes to improved production efficiency in animal science and supports environmentally sustainable agricultural practices.