Traditional use of fly larvae by small poultry farmers in Benin

Abstract

House fly larvae ( Musca domestica) are a suitable and sustainable source of protein for poultry in Africa, but their traditional use in family farming has never been demonstrated and quantified. A large survey among traditional poultry farmers in Benin shows that on the average, 5.7% of them produce house fly larvae to feed their poultry. In one politico-administrative sub-unit (department) 25.7% of farmer feed their poultry with larvae. The farmers using house fly larvae as protein source tend to have a higher income from poultry farming; have higher level of education and a larger flock than those that do not use larvae. They also give termites to their poultry more often than other farmers. Farmers keeping their poultry in confinement also use fly larvae more often than those whose flocks are scavenging. Fly larvae are produced by exposing various wastes as substrates to attract naturally occurring flies. A total of 28 substrates used to produce larvae were cited by farmers. The most cited substrates were soy and maize bran, pig and chicken manure as well as animal cadavers. This information will be used to optimise the dissemination of the use of fly larvae in poultry feed to smallholder farmers in Benin. The fact that poultry farmers already produce fly larvae on farm also provides opportunities to integrate indigenous knowledge in the development of new technologies.