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<p>Feed cost volatility associated with conventional lipid sources such as primarily soybean oil, palm oil, and animal fats; poses a persistent challenge to economically viable poultry production in tropical and resource-constrained regions. Mealworm oil (MWO), derived from <i>Tenebrio molitor</i> larvae, offers a nutritionally relevant lipid supplement with a favourable unsaturated fatty acid profile; controlled evidence for its supplementation in laying quail systems, and particularly formal economic evaluation, remain limited. This study evaluated dose-response effects of graded MWO supplementation (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%) on egg production performance, egg quality, reproductive organ morphology, and economic outcomes in Japanese quail layers (<i>Coturnix japonica</i>). A total of 200 eleven-week-old females were allocated to four dietary treatments (50 birds per treatment; five replicates of ten birds each) in a completely randomised design; in T1–T3, corn starch was replaced isoenergetically by MWO at 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%, respectively. Production data were collected over four weeks (weeks 12–15 of age). MWO supplementation produced dose-dependent improvements in egg production percentage, egg mass, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) across all experimental weeks; at week 15, T3 recorded an FCR of 2.57 ± 0.10 versus 4.49 ± 0.20 in T0 (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.0001) and an egg production percentage of 74.24%. Albumen weight and Haugh units were significantly higher in T3 at all measurement weeks (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05), while yolk cholesterol declined progressively with increasing MWO inclusion; however, the absolute magnitude of this reduction was modest (approximately 5–9&#xa0;mg/100&#xa0;g). Eggshell traits were unaffected. Relative weights of the oviduct, ovary, and F-1 follicle were significantly greater in T3 at terminal assessment (week 15). A formal partial-budget analysis under local market conditions (Peshawar, Pakistan) indicated that the FCR improvement at 1.5% MWO reduced feed cost per dozen eggs from 80.98 ± 0.80 to 55.43 ± 0.76 PKR and generated the highest gross margin (ΔΠ = +727.3 PKR per replicate versus T0) despite the higher unit cost of MWO relative to corn starch. These results indicate that low-level MWO dietary supplementation has the potential to enhance quail layer performance and economic returns under similar conditions to those examined in this study. However, further validation at a commercial scale, along with re-parameterization across diverse tropical production environments, is necessary before making broader claims regarding its applicability.</p>

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Dose-response effects of Tenebrio molitor oil dietary supplementation on production performance, egg quality, and economic outcomes in Japanese quail layers under tropical conditions

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月26日

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  • Ebadullah Karimi,
  • Gnonlonfoun M. Geraud,
  • Sohaib Ul Hassan,
  • Kinkpe Lionel,
  • Sar Zamin Khan,
  • Umezinwa K. Celestina,
  • Wondimu A. Lombebo,
  • Justin A. Hounkpêvi,
  • Abdulkareem M. Matar

摘要

Feed cost volatility associated with conventional lipid sources such as primarily soybean oil, palm oil, and animal fats; poses a persistent challenge to economically viable poultry production in tropical and resource-constrained regions. Mealworm oil (MWO), derived from Tenebrio molitor larvae, offers a nutritionally relevant lipid supplement with a favourable unsaturated fatty acid profile; controlled evidence for its supplementation in laying quail systems, and particularly formal economic evaluation, remain limited. This study evaluated dose-response effects of graded MWO supplementation (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%) on egg production performance, egg quality, reproductive organ morphology, and economic outcomes in Japanese quail layers (Coturnix japonica). A total of 200 eleven-week-old females were allocated to four dietary treatments (50 birds per treatment; five replicates of ten birds each) in a completely randomised design; in T1–T3, corn starch was replaced isoenergetically by MWO at 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%, respectively. Production data were collected over four weeks (weeks 12–15 of age). MWO supplementation produced dose-dependent improvements in egg production percentage, egg mass, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) across all experimental weeks; at week 15, T3 recorded an FCR of 2.57 ± 0.10 versus 4.49 ± 0.20 in T0 (P < 0.0001) and an egg production percentage of 74.24%. Albumen weight and Haugh units were significantly higher in T3 at all measurement weeks (P < 0.05), while yolk cholesterol declined progressively with increasing MWO inclusion; however, the absolute magnitude of this reduction was modest (approximately 5–9 mg/100 g). Eggshell traits were unaffected. Relative weights of the oviduct, ovary, and F-1 follicle were significantly greater in T3 at terminal assessment (week 15). A formal partial-budget analysis under local market conditions (Peshawar, Pakistan) indicated that the FCR improvement at 1.5% MWO reduced feed cost per dozen eggs from 80.98 ± 0.80 to 55.43 ± 0.76 PKR and generated the highest gross margin (ΔΠ = +727.3 PKR per replicate versus T0) despite the higher unit cost of MWO relative to corn starch. These results indicate that low-level MWO dietary supplementation has the potential to enhance quail layer performance and economic returns under similar conditions to those examined in this study. However, further validation at a commercial scale, along with re-parameterization across diverse tropical production environments, is necessary before making broader claims regarding its applicability.