Farm animals offered to feed algae and insects

NCFU scientists pointed out a well-known problem in the production of agricultural feed: cheap feed does not allow animals to strengthen their immunity , and farmers compensate for this by using veterinary drugs. The solution lies, the scientists say, in the development of nutritious and cheap feed, and scientists have created one such food based on microalgae and insects.

They created food based on the black soldier fly grown in artificial conditions. The scientists also looked at cockroaches, crickets and locusts, but chose the black lion because these insects live in unpretentious conditions, grow up to six centimeters in size and do not eat each other in cages. At the same time, the beetles are fed with microalgae Chlorella vulgaris. it has a high nutritional value, but the gastrointestinal tract of cattle cannot cope with the cell wall of the algae . Previously, scientists tried to destroy the cell membrane with the help of discharge-pulse technology.

However, insects successfully process algae into biomass, from which it is possible to create feed for cattle in the future , the scientists explained. They are confident that the quality of such feed will be no worse than expensive imported additives, and they plan to establish industrial production of this feed.