Nutritive value of shrimp waste-meal and fly larva-meal (maggot-meal) in growing albino rats

Growing albino rats of the Winster strain were used to determine the nutrit ive value of shrimp waste-meal (SWM) and maggot-meal (MM). Rats (24) were a llocated to 4 equal groups of 6 rats each and fed ad lib. 4 different exper imental diets. The first was the protein-free basal diet. The other 3 diets contained whole hen's egg (reference), shrimp waste-meal or maggot-meal as the only protein sources respectively. They supplied 100g/kg protein in th e diets. Experiment lasted 21 days. Performance of rats on the MM protein w as significantly higher than those fed SWM protein. There were no significant differences (P>0.05) in the relative weights of l ungs, kidneys, spleen and caecum. Rats on SWM, however, had lowest (P<0.05) values of heart, liver and intestine. The packed-cell volume (PCV) did not vary significantly with the dietary tr eatments, however, the haemoglobin of rats that received MM diet were highe r than those on SWM diets. It was concluded that both SWM and MM has potent ial as protein concentrates but the feeding value of SWM for monogastrics i s limited.