Exploring the Nutritional Benefits of Cricket Meal in Poultry Diets

Introduction

In recent years, there has been growing interest in alternative protein sources for animal feed due to the increasing global demand for livestock products. One such alternative that has gained attention is cricket meal. Crickets are a rich source of nutrients and have the potential to become a valuable ingredient in poultry diets. In this blog, we will examine into the nutritional profile of cricket meal and discuss its potential benefits when incorporated into poultry diets.

1. High-quality Protein Source

Protein is an essential component of poultry diets as it plays a vital role in growth, development, and overall health. Cricket meal is an excellent source of high-quality protein, comparable to traditional protein sources such as soybean meal. In fact, crickets contain all the essential amino acids required by poultry, making them a complete protein source. Including cricket meal in poultry diets ensures an adequate supply of essential amino acids, promoting optimal growth and performance.

2. Balanced Amino Acid Profile

The amino acid composition of feed is crucial for supporting various physiological functions in poultry. Cricket meal offers a well-balanced amino acid profile, including essential amino acids such as lysine, methionine, and threonine. These amino acids are essential for muscle development, feathering, and overall health. By incorporating cricket meal into poultry diets, farmers can achieve a more balanced amino acid profile, reducing the need for synthetic amino acid supplementation.

3. Beneficial Fatty Acids

Apart from protein, cricket meal is also a valuable source of beneficial fatty acids. It contains a favorable ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids, which is important for maintaining optimal health in poultry. Omega-3 fatty acids play a role in promoting immune function, reducing inflammation, and supporting heart health. Including cricket meal in poultry diets can enhance the fatty acid composition of the feed, leading to healthier and more nutritious poultry products. 

4. Vitamin and Mineral Content

Cricket meal is rich in various vitamins and minerals necessary for the overall well-being of poultry. It contains significant amounts of vitamins such as vitamin B12, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), and vitamin E. These vitamins are involved in energy metabolism, red blood cell formation, and antioxidant defense, respectively. In terms of minerals, cricket meal is a good source of calcium, phosphorus, and iron. These minerals are essential for bone development, muscle function, and oxygen transport within the body. By incorporating cricket meal into poultry diets, farmers can enhance the overall nutritional content of the feed, ensuring optimal health and productivity in their flocks.

5. Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly

One of the key advantages of using cricket meal in poultry diets is its sustainable nature. Compared to traditional protein sources such as soybean meal or fish meal, crickets require significantly fewer resources to rear, including water, land, and feed. They also produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions and generate less waste. Incorporating cricket meal into poultry diets can contribute to reducing the environmental impact of livestock production, making it a more sustainable choice for farmers.

Conclusion

Incorporating cricket meal into poultry diets offers numerous nutritional benefits. The high-quality protein, balanced amino acid profile, beneficial fatty acids, and rich vitamin and mineral content of cricket meal make it a valuable ingredient in promoting optimal growth, health, and performance in poultry. Furthermore, the sustainable nature of cricket farming contributes to reducing the environmental impact of the poultry industry. While cricket meal shows promise as an alternative protein source, it is important to consider factors such as cost, availability, and consumer acceptance. As the demand for sustainable and nutritionally-rich feed ingredients continues to grow, further research and investment in insect-based protein sources like cricket meal will pave the way for a more sustainable and efficient poultry industry. Alternative protein sources like cricket meal, we can make significant strides towards achieving a more sustainable and resilient food system, ensuring a brighter future for both poultry producers and the environment.

The nutritional composition of different species of edible crickets

Cricket species	Stage	Protein (g/100 g dry weight)	Lipid (g/100 g dry weight)	Fiber (g/100 g dry weight)	Ash (g/100 g dry weight)	Carbohydrates (g/100 g dry weight)	Energy value (kcal/100 g dry matter)
Acheta domesticus	Nymph and Adult	62.41–71.09  NR	9.80–22.8  19.20–29.58	10.20  NR	5.10–9.10  NR	NR  NR	455.19  NR
Gryllus assimilis	Adult  Nymph	56.00 ± 3.10  55.60 ± 1.10  65.52 ± 1.39  71.04 ± 0.01  56.4	21.80 ± 2.65  11.90 ± 0.50  7.00 ± 0.12  NR  34.00	8.28  8.00  7.00  NR  NR	6.40  NR  NR  NR  4.08 ± 0.43	12.46 ± 0.16  8.60 ± 1.49  NR  NR  NR	397.00 ± 1.69  NR  NR  NR  537.50
Gryllus bimaculatus	Adult	57.49–70.10	14.93–33.44	9.53 ± 0.46	NR	NR	120.00
Brachytrupes spp	Adult	65.35 ± 0.36	11.76 ± 0.63	13.29 ± 1.61	4.88 ± 0.23	2.50 ± 0.85	536.42 ± 0.47
Gryllus testaceus	Adult	58.30 ± 0.91	10.30 ± 0.31	10.40	2.96 ± 0.09	NR	18.10
Tarbinskiellus portentosus	Adult	58.00 ± 0.05	23.70 ± 0.05	1.16 ± 1.01	7.93 ± 0.04	NR	460.82
Gryllodes sigillatus	Nymph	56.00	NR	NR	NR	NR
Teleogryllus emma	Adult	55.65 ± 0.28	25.14 ± 0.11	10.37 ± 0.19	10.37 ± 0.19	NR
Brachytrupes membranaceus	Adult  Nymph	53.4 ± 0.19	15.80 ± 0.23	6.30 ± 0.14  5.0 ± 0.30	6.00 ± 0.12  3.23 ± 0.01	15.10 ± 0.22	454.7 ± 2.25
Brachytrupes portentosus	Adult	48.69 ± 0.25  NR	20.60 ± 0.60  NR	11.61 ± 0.20  0.5–8.3	5.40–20.50  9.36 ± 0.34	NR  NR	90.06–134.0  NR
Gryllotalpa africana	Adult	22.0 ± 0.86	10.80 ± 1.24	7.4 ± 0.24	12.60 ± 0.97	47.20 ± 0.32	362.3 ± 2.34
Acheta testacea	Adult	18.6	6.00	NR	NR	NR	133.00
Acheta confirmata	Adult	NR	21.14	NR	NR	NR	NR

 

Amino acid composition (g/100 g protein) of different species of edible crickets

Amino acid	Cricket species Tarbinskiellus portentosus	Cricket species Gryllodes sigillatus nymph	Cricket species Gryllus assimilis	Cricket species Gryllus testaceus	Cricket species Acheta testacea	Cricket species Gryllus bimaculatus	Cricket species Acheta domesticus
Essential Amino acids	Essential Amino acids	Essential Amino acids	Essential Amino acids	Essential Amino acids	Essential Amino acids	Essential Amino acids	Essential Amino acids
Valine	11.45 ± 0.98	5.20	4.62 ± 0.59	4.42 ± 0.00	3.44	3.20 ± 0.03	1.07
Isoleucine	3.03 ± 0.19	3.70	2.12 ± 0.73	3.09 ± 0.00	2.98	2.16 ± 0.04	4.45 ± 0.21
Leucine	ND	6.90	7.74 ± 0.64	5.521 ± 0.13	6.09	3.97 ± 0.05	9.75 ± 0.35
Lysine	6.10 ± 0.07	5.30	7.90 ± 0.64	4.79 ± 0.10	4.61	2.42 ± 0.01	5.40 ± 0.00
Threonine	3.81 ± 0.21	3.50	3.55 ± 0.63	2.75 ± 0.12	2.90	2.00 ± 0.04	3.60 ± 0.00
Phenylalanine	2.59 ± 0.13	3.10	0.72 ± 0.20	2.86 ± 0.06	NR	1.83 ± 0.01	3.00 ± 0.28
Methionine	2.42 ± 0.09	1.60	0.63 ± 0.20	1.93 ± 0.06	NR	0.27 ± 0.01	1.40 ± 0.14
Histidine	ND	2.20	1.32 ± 0.37	1.94 ± 0.01	1.54	2.50 ± 0.08	2.25 ± 0.07
Trypatophan	1.35 ± 0.23	0.90	0.95 ± 0.20	NR	2.44	NR	0.55 ± 0.07
Methionine and Cystine	NR	NR	NR	NR	3.09	NR	NR
Phenylalanine and Tyrosine	NR	NR	NR	NR	6.24	NR	NR
Non-essential amino acids	Non-essential amino acids	Non-essential amino acids	Non-essential amino acids	Non-essential amino acids	Non-essential amino acids	Non-essential amino acids	Non-essential amino acids
Tyrosine	4.73 ± 0.13	4.20	5.44 ± 0.66	3.94 ± 0.02	NR	2.73 ± 0.02	1.00
Arginine	0.32 ± 0.31	5.70	3.02 ± 1.36	3.68 ± 0.12	4.51	3.60 ± 0.04	6.10 ± 0.00
Aspartic acid	6.99 ± 0.97	7NR	8.64 ± 0.63	3.72 ± 0.07	6.92	3.60 ± 0.04	7.75 ± 0.92
Glutamic acid	19.24 ± 1.32	NR	2.41 ± 0.14	9.07 ± 0.31	9.68	6.39 ± 0.07	10.45 ± 0.07
Serine	3.17 ± 0.69	NR	0.61 ± 0.20	3.72 ± 0.07	3.59	2.73 ± 0.01	1.02
Aspargine	3.27 ± 0.52	NR	NR	6.290 ± 0.2	NR	NR	NR
Glycine	NR	NR	0.36 ± 0.73	3.62 ± 0.11	4.72	3.32 ± 0.01	1.04
Alanine	0.14 ± 0.02	NR	4.02 ± 0.63	5.55 ± 0.09	7.80	5.64 ± 0.01	8.85 ± 0.07
Cysteine	NR	0.90	0.74 ± 0.14	1.01 ± 0.02	NR	5.10 ± 0.00	0.8 ± 0.00
Proline	1.44 ± 0.39	NR	1.26 ± 0.73	4.50 ± 0.08	4.52	1.99 ± 0.01	1.15
Taurine	1.25 ± 0.43	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	141.00
Ornithine	3.10 ± 2.96	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
EAA	35.48	NR	NR	32.25	NR	21.08	NR
NEAA	66.16	NR	NR	36.42	NR	32.75	NR
EAA/NEAA	0.54	NR	NR	0.89	NR	0.64	NR
Total amino acids	101.64	43.20	56.49	68.67	NR	53.83	NR

 

Mineral-Nutrient elements composition (mg/100 g DM) of different species of edible crickets

Cricket species	Mineral element Phosphorus	Mineral element Potassium	Mineral element Sodium	Mineral element Calcium	Mineral element Magnesium	Mineral element Zinc	Mineral element Manganese	Mineral element Iron	Mineral element Copper	Mineral element Cobolt
Gryllus bimaculatus	1169.60	1079.90	452.99	240.17	143.65	22.43	10.36	9.66	4.55	NR
Teleogryllus ema	1085.4	895.50	278.23	193.54	152.48	18.47	5.86	10.75	2.19	NR
Acheta domesticus	832.9	126.62	435.06	171.07	94.71	20.22	3.35	8.75	1.43	NR
Tarbinskiellus portentosus	506.1 ± 2.33	1240.89 ± 1.05	370.81 ± 0.82	26.00 ± 0.02	10.50 ± 0.06	7.0 ± 0.00	NR	122.5 ± 0.00	4.50 ± 0.01	NR
Brachytrupes membranaceus	126.9	NR	NR	9.21	0.13	NR	NR	0.68	NR	NR
Brachytrupes spp	38.50 ± 1.91	877.26 ± 41.39	150.22 ± 28.23	4.98 ± 0.58	NR	23.02 ± 0.06	NR	33.60 ± 3.26	NR	NR
Gymnogryllus lucens	NR	28.28 ± 17.88	15.63 ± 5.30	NR	153.88 ± 27.47	25.66± 28.70	NR	51.90 ± 44.5	6.91 ± 0.70	0.21 ± 0.70
Gryllus assimilis	0.80	NR	0.99	45.30 ± 4.45	2.19 ± 3.46	5.22 ± 0.27	1.42 ± 0.09	2.78 ± 0.28	0.68 ± 0.01	NR

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7835793/#:~:text=Nutritionally%2C%20crickets%20are%20reported%20to,of%20the%20total%20fatty%20acids

Dr Muhammad Faisal Rafique
Veterinarian, Animal Nutritionist
famey1075@gmail.com