Complete nutrient content of four species of commercially available feeder insects fed enhanced diets during growth.

Commercially raised feeder insects used to feed captive insectivores are a good source of many nutrients but are deficient in several key nutrients. Current methods used to supplement insects include dusting and gut-loading. Here, we report on the nutrient composition of four species of commercially raised feeder insects fed a special diet to enhance their nutrient content.

Complete nutrient content of four species of feeder insects.

A variety of insects are commonly fed to captive insectivores but detailed nutritional analyses are only available for the most commonly fed species. Soldier fly larvae, Turkestan cockroach nymphs, tebo worms, and adult house flies were analyzed for moisture, protein, fat, ash, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and selected carotenoids. The acid detergent fiber was analyzed for amino acids to estimate chitin content.

Water content of faeces is higher in the afternoon than in the morning in morning-fed dogs fed diets containing texturised vegetable protein from soya.

Faecal moisture content can determine whether faeces appear soft or firm, and faecal character can influence whether owners are satisfied with a dog food. In a previous study, dogs appeared to produce softer faeces after noon. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether time of defecation affected canine faecal water content.

Estimate of chitin in raw whole insects.

Insects contain significant amounts of fiber as measured by crude fiber, acid detergent fiber (ADF) or neutral detergent fiber (NDF). It has always been assumed that the fiber in insects represents chitin based on the structural similarity between cellulose and chitin and the fact that the ADF fraction from insects contains nitrogen. In this study, a number of insect species that are raised commercially as food for insectivores were analyzed for moisture, crude protein (nitrogen x 6.