FROM WASTE TO FARM: insect larvae as tool for welfare improvement in poultry
The aim of this project is to test the effects of innovative ingredients (insect larvae) in poultry feeding to allow sustainable production, to improve animal welfare and to potentially meet the consumer demand for healthier, more natural and bettertasting products.
Insect larvae will be reared on food side streams, allowing the valorization of secondary raw materials produced in excess from food industries, and then used as environmental enrichments in laying hens and broilers. Point-source objects (pecking objects and litter/bedding containing insect larvae) will be used to allow species-typical behaviors and maintain animal health, thus resulting in an improvement of birds welfare and quality of food products. Cost-benefit analysis will be finally carried out in order to define the economic effect of such innovative productions and environmental enrichments in the industrial settings.
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