Varkensvoeders verrijkt met insecten - levende of ingemengde meelwormen : Regio Deal Foodvalley - Circulair voer

In a circular livestock sector, residual streams from the human food industry are processed into animal feed. In pig feeds the use of byproducts is a long existing method. In this project, byproducts that could not be fed to pigs directly were fed via protein-rich yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) to finishing pigs (25-120 kg). At the first two, organic farms live, at the third, conventional farm included in the compound feed. At farms 1 and 2 the pigs received 2x45 g live mealworms per day on the solid floor. The performance of the pigs and the health status in the two treatments were similar. The mealworm fed pigs were less active with the pen equipment and more active with the environmental enrichment (including straw and mealworms). At farm 3 the pigs had 3% mealworms in the experimental compound feed. No differences in performance, health and slaughter data were seen. The pigs receiving live or included mealworms in the diet performed well, but there was no improvement in growth performance compared to the control pigs. Welfare benefits were clearly visible in the mealworm fed pigs. Unfortunately, there is no financial benefit for pigs farmers yet. In conclusion, pig feed with mealworms is a step towards more circular feed and provision of live mealworms resulted in a clear welfare benefit.