Salissou Issa

The purpose of this work was to study the effects of substitution of fishmeal by housefly larvae at different rates and different physical states in the diet of local chickens. Five diets consisted of LFD, 25DL, 50DL, 25FL and 50FL, respectively, larval-free, 25%-dried-larvae, 50%-dried-larvae, 25%-fresh-larvae and 50%-fresh-larvae diet, in which 0, 25 and 50% of fishmeal was replaced by dried and fresh larvae, was formulated. A total of 165 local chickens of three weeks old, divided into 15 boxes in batches of 11 animals were raised. The experiment consists of three replications of five treatments. At 14 weeks of age, sixty chickens were slaughtered. Butchery skills and sensory characteristics were evaluated. Thus, a small variation of the ultimate pH from 5.63 to 5.55 between the different types of meat, and a carcass yield around 66%, was recorded. Any effects of substitution rate and physical state of housefly larvae on growth performance was not observed. Feet and proventriculus percentages increased in chickens fed 25% substitution. Liver and spleen percentage, and redder breast meat, increased in chicken fed dried larvae. Yellowness of the breast, thigh-and-drumstick meat and juiciness increased with 50% substitution. There is need of an investigation for liver and spleen enlargement and housefly larvae containing pigments. Thus, housefly larvae up to 50% substitution can be a suitable alternative to fishmeal in local chicken diets.

This review analyzes the processes of phenotypic and morpho-biometric characterization of West African local chicken. Data were collected on a set of 44 articles, and other reference documents were used to analyze and discuss the data collected. Existing studies on the phenotypic and molecular characterization of local chicken populations in West Africa indicate the presence of a wide variety of plumage colors and conformations, and intra-population genetic diversity. However, none of these studies have been able to identify the existence of a differentiated subpopulation that can be assimilated into a distinct race. The conclusions of this studies are not sufficient to ensure the non-existence of “race” in West Africa because many of these studies focus only on the phenotypic aspect, while molecular characterization makes it possible to identify differentiated populations with certainty. Additionally, the populations studied are often small in size, though remaining within the FAO recommendation standards. The spatial distribution used to compare the subpopulations was based on agroecological zones with strong interconnections to and shared with West African human populations, to the detriment of socio-cultural realities. In order to be more effective and conclusive, characterization work could consider the spatial distance of subpopulations in a comparison and the levels of exchange between the human communities from which these chicken subpopulations originate.