{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T15:41:04Z","timestamp":1785426064956,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,4]],"date-time":"2026-06-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780531200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"PRIMA program","award":["2015"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2015"]}]},{"award":["2015"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2015"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/019w4f821","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study evaluated the effects of locally sourced ingredient dietary, with or without supplementation of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens; BSF) larvae, on laying hen welfare. A total of 150 Lohman White hens aged 30 weeks were assigned to three treatments over ten weeks: a standard corn\u2013soybean diet (CONTROL), an alternative diet incorporating triticale, faba beans and rapeseed meal (ALTER), and the ALTER diet supplemented with 5% dried BSF larvae provided separately (ALTER + BSF). Welfare assessments included larvae consumption time, a novel object test, an avoidance distance test, body condition scoring, and ethological observation of natural behaviors. Hens fed ALTER diet initially showed increased incidence of comb pecking wounds, which declined over the trial, along with reduced morning grooming compared to the CONTROL group (p = 0.009). However, the ALTER diet significantly improved plumage cleanliness (p &lt; 0.001). Supplementation with BSF larvae partially mitigated early stress responses, maintained plumage cleanliness, and improved exploratory behavior and habituation to novelty (p &lt; 0.001). Hens showed sustained and increased motivation to consume BSF larvae with an average consumption time of 5.5 min. Additionally, BSF supplementation was associated with increased resting and the emergence of dustbathing behavior during the afternoon (p &lt; 0.05). No aggressive behaviors were observed, and no significant dietary effects were found for human fearfulness throughout the trial. In conclusion, dried BSF larvae can serve as effective environmental enrichment, improving hens\u2019 adaptability to locally sourced diets in rural farming systems.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani16111724","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,4]],"date-time":"2026-06-04T11:52:30Z","timestamp":1780573950000},"page":"1724","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Dried Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae in a Sustainable Diet for Laying Hens: Effects on Welfare and Behavior"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-6091-5265","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yosra","family":"Znazen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institut Sup\u00e9rieur Agronomique de Chott-Mariem, Universit\u00e9 de Sousse, LR18AG01, ISA-CM-BP, 47, Sousse 4042, Tunisia"},{"name":"Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Ghent University, Heidestraat 19, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marwa","family":"Gaddes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institut Sup\u00e9rieur Agronomique de Chott-Mariem, Universit\u00e9 de Sousse, LR18AG01, ISA-CM-BP, 47, Sousse 4042, Tunisia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5191-3657","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Geert P. J.","family":"Janssens","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Ghent University, Heidestraat 19, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Madiha Hadj","family":"Ayed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institut Sup\u00e9rieur Agronomique de Chott-Mariem, Universit\u00e9 de Sousse, LR18AG01, ISA-CM-BP, 47, Sousse 4042, Tunisia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112658","DOI":"10.1016\/j.physbeh.2019.112658","article-title":"Influence of the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis on Behavior and Welfare in Farm Animals: A Review","volume":"210","author":"Kraimi","year":"2019","journal-title":"Physiol. Behav."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Mergoum, M., and Macpherson, H.G. (2004). 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