The effects of partially replacing animal protein sources with full fat black soldier fly larvae meal (Hermetia illucens) in nursery diets on growth performance, gut morphology, and immune response of pigs

One hundred and forty-four newly weaned pigs (6.74 ± 0.23 kg initial BW; 21 d of age) were used to determine the effect of partially replacing animal protein sources with black solider fly larvae meal (BSFLM) in nursery diets on growth performance, gut morphology, and immune response. After weaning, pigs were placed in 24 pens (six pigs per pen) and pens were randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments (study d 0; n = 6), which were fed over three phases (phases I, II, and III were fed for 7, 14, and 21 d, respectively). Two nursery diets were formulated with 25% (LowFF) and 50% (HighFF) of the animal protein sources replaced by full fat BSFLM. Conventional nursery diets including animal protein sources without (CON−) and with antibiotics (220 mg Aureomycin per kg of complete feed; CON+) served as controls. On d 8, two pigs per pen were sacrificed to collect organ weights and for intestinal histomorphological measurements. On d 9 and d 23, two pigs per pen were vaccinated with the novel antigen ovalbumin (OVA). Blood samples were collected on d 9, d 23, and d 38 to assess concentrations of plasma haptoglobin and OVA-specific immunoglobulins G (IgG) and IgG1. On d 38, the same two pigs per pen underwent a dermal hypersensitivity test and skin-fold thickness was measured at 0, 6, 24, and 48 h postintradermal injection with OVA. Pigs fed the CON- had greater ADFI and lower G:F in phase II vs. those fed CON+ and HighFF diets (P < 0.05 and P < 0.05); intermediate ADFI was observed for pigs fed the LowFF diet. Overall in the nursery period, ADG (496 ± 13 g), ADFI (743 ± 23 g), G:F, and final BW (27.61 ± 0.66 kg) were not different among dietary treatments. There were no differences in organ weights, jejunal or ileal villus heights, or crypt depths among dietary treatments. There were no differences in OVA-specific IgG, IgG1, or plasma haptoglobin among dietary treatments at any of the blood sampling times. Although not different, pigs fed the LowFF, HighFF, and CON+ diets had respectively 2.0×, 1.7×, and 1.4× greater dermal hypersensitivity response to OVA versus those fed CON−. Both inclusion levels of BSFLM in nursery diets supported growth performance, gut morphology, and indices of immune function not different from the CON+, which suggest that full fat BSFLM can replace at least 50% of animal protein sources in nursery diets of pigs without any deleterious effects on pig growth.