Evaluation of the Production Performance and the Meat Quality of Chickens Reared in Organic System. As Affected by the Inclusion of Calliphora sp. in the Diet

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Currently, organic systems face the problem of the low availability of protein for feeding monogastric animals. Insects are part of the diet of free-range animals, and can be a possible substitute for other protein sources such as soybean meal. In the EU the production of insects is not eligible in organic production due to the absence of standards for these products. Therefore, more studies are needed to support the inclusion of insects in animal feeding. This study aimed to evaluate the inclusion of Calliphora sp. (CLM) in the first phase of chicken growth in organic production systems. Similarly, the quality of the meat of these chickens was analyzed and near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was used as a tool to classify the meat according to the diet they had consumed. This study showed that the use of CLM in feeding of organic chickens would be a good alternative, thus obtaining chickens with similar meat quality and productive developments, in contrast to those chickens that had been fed traditional proteins. In addition, the NIRS could be useful for the classification of meat from chickens based on the diet they had received. ABSTRACT: The use of insects can be a possible source of protein. This study uses Calliphora sp. larvae (CLM) as a protein source in 320 one-day-old medium-growing male chicks (RedBro) during their first month of life. Chickens were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments. Each group consisted of 10 animals, and a total of 8 replicas. Control group was fed with a certified organic feed. The experimental treatments were supplemented with 5% (T2), 10% (T3), or 15% (T4) of CLM, reducing in each case the corresponding percentage of feed quantity. Productive development and meat quality were analyzed, and near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was used as a tool for classifying the samples. Chickens of T4 showed greater final body weight and total average daily gain, but they reduced consumption and feed conversion ratio (FCR). The chicken breast meat of T4 had lower cooking losses and higher palmitoleic acid content (p < 0.01). NIRS classified correct 92.4% of samples according to the food received. CLM is presented as a potential ingredient for the diet of medium-slow growing chickens raised in organic systems.