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| EARTHWORM MEAL A source of protein for non-conventional feeding sheep and other small animals Dr.Luis Alberto Miranda Romero, The Earthworm is a biotechnological process of great interest to ecological sustainability and economy producers. This biotechnology uses the red Californian earthworm (Eisenia foetida)...although others are available as viable substitutes... with the goal to recycle organic waste and, in turn, obtain high quality fertilizer (humus and humic acids) of high nutrient value for growing plants. Scientific research (Vielma-Rendon et al., 2003, Safiya et al, 2001, Gonzalez et al., 2008) has also that it is also a feasible biotechnology to make meal or "flower" from Earthworms as well. Earthworms (depending upon species) consist of a very high protein content (60 - 80% ) and high nutritional value for their stock of amino acids and high in vitro digestibility. Because of these characteristics, IPN (National Polytecnic Institute) researchers have elaborated protein-enriched products for human consumption from earthworms. Additionally, worm meal (dried and ground into meal or flower) can be used as an unconventional ingredient in the formulation and preparation of diets for fish, poultry and rabbits (Morón-Fuenmator et al., 2008, Gonzalez et al., 2008), but is it feasible to use in larger animals like sheep? Because of the high speed of growth of the Californian red worm, it was used to estimate the potential for the commercial production of earthworm meal. It is estimated that in a worm farm, managed efficiently, there are 2000 worms per m3 equivalent to 8 kg of wet biomass. This population of worms process 4 kg per m3 of cow manure for food per month. It was found that 30% of the worms can be harvested per month (2.4kg/m3) without affecting the system. With this rate of extraction per cubic meter, 30kg/m3 of "meat" are obtained per year (3 kg dry mass) or 2.4 kg of high quality protein per m3, considering it contains the 8% CP (crude protein) and 90% humidity. If this biotechnology is implemented, for example, in a dairy herd of 100 cows each weighing approximately 500 kg, each producing 6 kg/day of manure you will have 600Kg total per day. It is possible to obtain 500 kg/day of dry, composted substrate to rehydrate and feed the earthworm population contained in worm beds of 125 m3. Net harvested production will 375 kg per year of worm meal or 300 kg of high quality protein available for use as an ingredient in the formulation of a supplement for sheep or other minor species of zootechnical interest. What is the strategy suggested in the food supply sheep which use worm meal? The amount of meal noted above can be substituted for conventional protein sources (soybeans, alfalfa hay, sorghum) in the formulation of diets or dietary supplements for sheep. By example, Partida (2008) suggested a diet for sheep in housing(IE. coraled for maturing to market) and ending with 14% CP and 2.8 Mcal of ME, which consists of: sorghum (52%), soybean meal (8%), alfalfa groomed (22%),corn stover (7%) and molasses (10%). Earthworm meal protein can replace the protein provided by alfalfa, soybeans and sorghum, equivalent to 12%. In this case, with 375 kg of flour, 60% worm protein, can produce 1.8 tons of food at a rate of 1.2 kg of feed per head per day, enough to feed 33 sheep for 45 days (time to reach their market weight). The relevance of earthworm meal is its use in supplements. Gomez et al. (2009) proposed the next diet for sheep in the state of Yucatan. Sorghum (50%), Jaragua (35%), soybean meal (10%),urea (1.03%), molasses (3.97%). The jaragua or any other tropical forage such as Taiwan, can be used as a base and grazed. The other ingredients are offered in a meal supplement where worm protein can replace the protein derived from soybeans and sorghum (approximately 9.3%) so that with the estimated amount of flour (375 kg) can produce 2.4 tons of concentrate. In this case sheep consume between 600 and 800g of additional food per head per head, sufficient for 4000 servings (89 sheep supplemented for 45 days). The suggested strategy is to use a worm meal supplement replacing 50% of the total diet protein, the other 50% can be provided by urea, chicken manure and grass of the locality (Pelcastre, 2009). Thus, with the 375 kg will produce 4.7 tonnes of worm meal supplement which can be used throughout the period of drought or shortage of forage (approximately 120 days) to maintain or for weight gain for 65 sheep (EG. 14 kg live weight gain from weaning). The use of worm meal for food with other animals such as rabbits (Gonzalez, 2008) may have a greater impact. In the study of González (2008) the proportion of worm meal in the diet was low (3%) because it was produced from the same feces of the rabbit farm, which limited the production of worms due to insufficient substrate. If the worm meal however,comes from farms where they use bovine feces as in the example above, then you can increase the proportion of worm meal in the diet to 11% equivalent to 6.6% CP(crude protein) in the diet creating 3.5 tons of food (still using the above example but for rabbits) This would be enough to feed some 750 rabbits for 35 days to reach their final weight to the sale. Finally, it is important to note that aside from the meal worm, the producer also generates humus equivalent to 850 kg m3. For the example described, it will be producing 106 tons per annum of high value humus not only nutritious but also with a high commercial value of $ 2.000.00 MN/ton at the time of this writing). Implications The implementation of a system of earthworm production from farmer´s or rancher´s stables allows the producer a good handling of the stool that reduces environmental impact but also significant economic benefits with the on-site use and/or sale of humus and earthworm meal. With the latter is prepared food or supplements for small animals (sheep rabbits, pigs, birds), thereby saving the cost of soybean or other conventional so called "Balanced" usually imported and increasingly expensive dietary ingredients. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- References: ARMANDO. 2008. Pelibuey BORREGOS TERMINATION IN LAIRAGING. IN: NATIONAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FOR Sustainable rural development. URL: Meal Worm A. Gomez, Rogelio Hernandez G. Jesus Castellanos R. Arthur. 2009. Evaluation of growth pelibuey sheep fed with increasing levels of dietary energy. E-Campo.com. http://www.e-campo.com/media/news/nl/ganovinosnutricion2.htm PELCASTRE O., ARTURO. 2009. Borrego pelibuey FAT IN SOUTHEAST MEXICO. IN: NATIONAL SYSTEM RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT SUSTAINABLE. HTTP: / / WWW.SNITT.ORG.MX / OVINOS_IDX.HTML Vielma-Rondon, R., Ovalle-Durán JF, Leon-Leal A. and Mitchell A. 2003. Nutritional flour earthworm (Eisenia foetida) as a source of amino acids and their quantitative estimation by chromatography reverse phase (HPLC) and precolumn derivatization with o-Phthalaldehyde (OPA). Ars Pharmaceutica, 44 (1): 43-58. Safiya G., D. N., J Ly, M. Macias, M. Caron and V. Martinez. 2001. Some aspects of the nutritive value Venezuelan food for monogastric animals. Livestock Research for Rural Development 13:2 Gonzalez M. RLA and Rodriguez de Miranda LR. 2008. Productive parameters and carcass characteristics of rabbits fed diets containing earthworm (Eisenia fetida) meal. Proceedings of the Livestock Research Meeting, 2008. November 3 to 8, Merida Yucatan. ABBREVIATIONS: HL: Worm Meal PC: Crude protein EM: Metabolizable Energy DM: Dry Matter PV: Live Weight IPN: National Polytechnic Institute |
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