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The poultry industry is one of the most important/vibrant sectors in the livestock industry. Feed economics is highly important in the production of poultry, especially in intensive farming. Protein intake is the key factor for the sustainable production process and growth rates. Mainly soybean and fish meal is used to fulfill the protein requirements in poultry feed, however, currently, soybean meal and other conventional protein ingredients are facing the problem of shortage supply resultantly increasing in prices. So, there is an urgent need to explore other alternatives and cheaper protein sources. In the past 20 years, amongst different alternative protein sources, private companies and research institutes have focused on the use of algae, insects, and other invertebrates in poultry diets whereas particular attention needs to be paid to the dietary use of earthworms as it is a good and palatable source of protein. Earthworms can be successfully used as an alternative protein source for poultry and aquaculture as an environmentally friendly protein feed ingredient. In this review, we summarize the suitability, productivity, and effectiveness of earthworm meals as an alternative protein ingredient in poultry diets The research has investigated the use of earthworm meal in fish and poultry feed and exhibited an increase in body weight, feed conversion ratio, feed intake, and growth rates in broilers as well as an increase in egg production in layers. The research has shown dietary inclusion level of earthworm meal in the fish diet is successfully up to 25-30% whilst its inclusion level in the broiler diet should not go beyond 15%. Supplementation of earthworm meals in broiler and aquaculture diets may trigger production performances without affecting the quality of the final product. The goal of this review is to deliver the recent scenario of research on earthworm meal; to offer a better understanding of its use as a novel feed ingredient for sustainable poultry production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrient utilization, hematological indices and growth performance of Labeo rohita fingerlings were examined while substituting fish meal with almond meal-based diet. Five diets were prepared by substituting different levels such as 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% of fish meal with almond meal in diets. Test diets were allocated to each fish group by using completely randomized design (CRD). In triplicate tanks, fifteen L. rohita fingerlings were kept and fed at 5% of their body weight. Growth indices such as weight gain (%), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and standard growth rate (SGR) were evaluated using standard formulae. Nutrient utilization was determined by proximate analysis of feces. There was significant difference (p=0.05) among hematological indices and growth performance of fingerlings fed 40% almond meal-based diet and control diet. By increasing almond meal in diets more than 40%, the hemoglobin and RBCs of fish indicated a significant (p=0.05) inverse correlation. The outcomes of present study revealed that replacement of fish meal by almond meal in fish feed is cost effective with significant improvement in growth response, nutrient digestibility and hematology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to analyze the impact of varying levels of plant based protein diets (15%, 20%, and 25% crude protein) prepared from cheaper plant proteins, to keep minimum use of fish meal, on growth performance, survival and production of hybrid fry (Labeo rohita♀ x Catla catla ♂). The hybrid fry of mean 1.05±0.08 g body weight and 4.36±0.40 cm mean length were acclimatized and transferred to 8 X 6 X 3 ft. hapas. Fry were fed with fish meal at the rate of 10 % of body weight during acclimatization period and experimental feed at the rate of 5 % of body weight up to the end of the 90 days experiment in duplicate at the fish farms facility. The growth performance of test fishes was observed at monthly interval and accordingly the fish feed was readjusted. During the study period, water quality parameters were maintained within safe limits for fish growth. Ten fish specimens from each treatment were randomly collected at the end of trial for growth parameters analysis. Different growth parameters, such as mean weight gain, mean length gain, specific growth rate, protein efficiency ratio, feed conversion ratio and production were determined. Results revealed maximum gains in T3 (25%) feed group as compared to T1 (15%) and T2 (20%) feed groups. The lowest food conversion ratio (FCR) was also noted in the T3 (25%) group showing best feed composition of T3 (25%) feed by the tested fish fry. ANOVA analysis showed highly significant (P<0.001) difference in the final weight, final length and production among three treatment groups (T1, T2, and T3), while no difference (P>0.05) was observed in SGR, FCR and PER values of the three treatment groups. Hence, a protein diet containing 25% dietary protein is not only cost-efficient, economical but also nutritional and wholesome for a fish's health condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alarmingly increasing cost and reduced supply of fish meal has necessitated searching out the low cost and easily accessible alternatives for aqua-feed industry. Potential of corn gluten meal (30%) and oilseed by-product, was evaluated by comparing the corn gluten meal-based diet with a fish meal-based reference diet. The experimental diet was consisted of 70% reference diet and 30% corn gluten meal contents. The potential of corn gluten meal-based diet was enhanced with graded levels of microbial phytase enzyme to assess the dose required for optimal fish production through various growth and digestibility coefficients. The chromic oxide was included at a concentration of 1% as non-digestible marker in the feed. The fish in experimental diets performed equal or better than the reference diet. The results of the study showed that the maximum weight gain (4.68±0.017 g) in fish was observed on corn gluten meal (30%)-based test diet containing 750 FTU kg-1 level. Crude fat and apparent gross energy digestibility performed their best at 750 FTU kg-1 followed by 1000 FTU kg-1 level, while maximum crude protein digestibility was observed at 1000 FTU kg-1 level. The conclusion of the present study suggested that phytase supplementation to corn gluten meal (30%) based diets at 750 FTU kg-1 level, is enough to release sufficient bounded nutrients for optimal growth performance of Labeo rohita fingerlings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]