EFFECT OF SUBSTITUTING BLACK SOLDIER FLY LARVAE INSTEAD OF SOYBEAN MEAL ON PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF QUAIL AT GROWTH STAGE

This study was conducted in the poultry research facility affiliated with the Department of Animal Production at the College of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Mosul.120 unsexed quail birds of one day old were used to study the effect of replacing different proportions of black soldier fly larvae )Hermetia illucens( instead of soybean meal on the productive performance of quail during the growth stage. The birds were randomly distributed into four treatments as follows: the first is control (without replacement), second, third and fourth with replacement rates (20, 40 and 60) % respectively. Feed and water were provided ad libitum throughout the duration of the study, which extended until the birds reached 42 days of age.The productive characteristics evaluated to assess the efficiency of substituting black soldier fly larvae at varying replacement levels instead of soybean meal included final body weight, weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio, vitality rate, production index and Carcass characteristics. The findings revealed no significant differences in the variables examined productive traits among all treatments, indicating the possibility of replacing black soldier fly larvae powder up to 60% in place of soybean meal without negatively affecting the productive performance of the quail bird.