A review of insect utilization in poultry nutrition, opportunities and challenges

The limitation of feed sources in Iran and all over the world has increased attentions to use alternative feedstuffs. Insect production is one the recommended approaches to improve food security for human and animals. Insects are rapidly grown and proliferated and because of being cold-blooded have appropriate feed conversion ratio. They also can convert agricultural residues into biomass contained proper value of energy and protein. This article has been focused on introduction of some insects used in poultry neutrino (including cricket, mealworm, black soldier fly larva, house fly larva, grasshopper) and earthworm, followed by reviewing the poultry nutritionist’s results about them, and ended up with pointing the challenges regarding to the extension of insect usage in poultry nutrition. The results of the researches indicated the appropriate levels of crude protein (42.1-63.3%) and metabolizable energy (3833-3298 kcal/kg) in evaluated insects or larva and the possibility of using them in poultry feed (commonly 5% of diet). Regarding the challenges of insect production and usage, some points which need especial attention are included: developing legal instructions for authorizing insect production and usage, choosing safe and proper insect species, type of litter and substrate of feeding, the chitin content of exoskeleton, as well as appropriate marketing and cultural education of the poultry farmers and human consumers of the poultry products.