Eureka! Institutional Repository

The diploma thesis was conducted in division of Animal Production, in the department of Agricultural Technology, in School of Agricultural and Food Technology and Nutrition, of the Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki. The aim of the thesis was the collection and cataloging of bibliographic information on the use of insects as animal protein in feed monogastric farm animals, which collectively could enrich the readers knowledge on the topic. Because of the increasing human population, many scientists engaged in recent years in finding a new source of animal protein that they could use in the monogastric animas daily diet, because protein is going to be in a shortage in the direct future. In this context promising solution seemed to be insects , as animal protein. Many insects were explored until scientists came in the conclusion of some that looked to have much better quality-nutritional characteristics over others. The dominants were: Black Soldier larvae, larvae and pupae of common household fly, mealworm, silkworms, grasshoppers, crickets and locust. These insects go through a particular process of production and processing to manage to be given as feed on monogastric animals (pigs and poultry). Main forms that insects have as feed are: whole or chopped, live or dried larvae, in the form of flour, paste, oil and as a supplement as chitin. After a lot of expirements it was shown that insects can participate in the diet of the monogastric animals w ith many forms of different insects. To growth broiler chicks larval meal of black soldier fly could fully replace soybean meal and fishmeal, , silkworm larvae flour could also replace it ,as well as with common housefly larvae meal. While in broiler chicks can for example can be replaced until 50% of fishmeal in their ration with common housefly larvae in flour form. In laying hens diets on development, common housefly meal can be used as a replacer of fishmeal in 100%. Parallel to laying hens diet could be inserted in their diet larva mealworms as a complete replacement of fishmeal, while at a rate of 50% fishmeal could be replaced by the housefly meal. Common protein feed sources(soy) could be replaced at the rate of 50% of silkworm larvae meal. At other birds diets such as turkeys, silkworm meal could replace at the rate of 50% soy, or at the rations of quail could be added 50% flour by locusts instead of fishmeal. In other monogastric animas like pigs, black soldier larvae flour could replace 50% of conventional protein feed if also amino acids are added to the diet, also 10% of housefly could be added , or 6% of mealworms flour instead of commonly used protein sources. In fattening pigs diet could be added silkworm larva meal, fully replacing flour soya or fish meal. At the same time there are surveys for respective participations insects in rations of other monogastrics such as fish and rabbits. Insects as feed and generally as food are more prevalent in Asia and Africa unlike Europe in which they are thought to be a new idea. Scientists in Europe have decided to investigate the diets of monogastric livestock initially, as they are omnivores, and how their diet could be enriched with the participation of insects. Most experiments ware positive on the part or entire replacement of the common/conventional protein feed like soybean meal and fish meal, with insects. Nevertheless, the use of insects are banned in Europe as fodder for legal and ethological issues, since the use of insects as feed could involve direct or indirect risks to humans.