Insect-enhanced diets of Periplaneta americana (L.), in separate combinations with Zea mays L. and starter mash/finisher, were fed to 4-week-old birds, Gallus gallus domesticus L., over a period of 13 weeks to identify alternative and relatively cheaper sources of protein for poultry birds. Within the first 3 weeks of feeding, the body weight of the birds was not significantly (P>0.05) different from each other, whereas a significant (P = 0.009) trend arose at week 8. This preliminary study shows that insect-enhanced meals could be used as an alternative feed within the formative stage of development of G. domesticus.

Transmission of food-poisoning salmonellae in the poultry industry is often associated with a contaminated feed supply. Occurrence of food-borne Salmonella spp. continues to be documented on poultry feeds and feed ingredients. This is in part due to the wide variety of environmental origins for Salmonella spp. and its ability to easily cross-contaminate during feed processing and storage. Since Salmonella spp. have been shown to survive for several months under feed storage conditions, they can remain a persistent problem for poultry production. Limiting Salmonella spp. contamination of poultry feeds requires application of surveillance approaches during feed manufacturing and distribution along with the introduction of effective intervention and hurdle technologies. Representative sampling approaches may be needed to achieve consistent contamination reduction.