Evaluation of the effect of Hermetia illucens larval fat addition to the broiler chicken diets on the growth performance, meat quality, and gut microbiota

The dataset includes results from an in vivo experiment conducted on broiler chickens, randomly assigned to 8 experimental groups. The birds were fed diets containing fat from Hermetia illucens larvae, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, palm oil, palm fatty acid distillate, poultry fat, pig lard, and beef tallow. Measurements of growth performance, including body weight, feed intake, body weight gain, and feed conversion ratio, were taken on days 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35. Additionally, the digestibility coefficients of nutrients were determined on days 14, 28, and 35. Morphometric measurements and weights of selected sections of the gastrointestinal tract and organs were recorded. On the last day of the experiment, biological material was collected for further analyses, including histological, microbiological, biochemical, physiological, and immunological assessments. Furthermore, the carcass yield, selected meat quality traits, including the fatty acid profile in the breast muscle and liver, were determined. A sensory panel was also conducted.