Insect Protein for Chickens

[U_Stormcrow]

This is just a paid ad for Tyson. Insect farming has been around a long time. The big hurdles are pests, diseases, bacteria, and protein in / protein out ratio making it difficult to be profitable. Purina markets an overpriced BSFL feed and refuses to disclose how much of the protein is BSFL, probably because its so expensive to add a significant amount to make a difference. I dont expect it to become a part of animal feeds anytime soon and I wouldn't feed it to my dogs or cat.

Of course its product placement in the guise of news. That doesn't make it less true. Tyson, who raises a lot of chickens economically, is looking to add insect protein to their feed at commercial scale. Beyond that??? There isn't much else to be true or false in the article, its sparse on details.

and as @Perris wisely points out, part of the way Tyson is attempting to do it, economically, at scale, is thru use of animal waste. And since this is a news article, not an FDA approved label, we can't even rely on their definition for what, exactly, "animal waste" is comprised of - though I suspect it includes a decent portion of "cull" birds and parts which were not of sufficient quality to be repurposed as something else.

As to Purina and Grubblies and their insect protein feeds??? Given that the insect protein often appears AFTER the calcium carbonate/oyster shell, we can be confident its less than 4% by weight. (Grubblies lists it right before Ca CO3, so at least 4%, because they use multiple calcium sources and claim a 3.0% minimum%)

 

[Folly's place]

So at least Grubblies lists it as dried larva, so by weight it's accurate. The Purina site doesn't list ingredients, but I think the larva were listed pretty low in the ingredient list. And it seems not worth spending extra for this ingredient.
Mary

 

[Apis mellifera]

Of course its product placement in the guise of news. That doesn't make it less true.

To me its deceptive and loses all credibility.

https://bennorton.com/cnn-working-with-corporations-to-make-ads-disguised-as-news/

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I always find it amusing when articles about animal protein and seaweed go straight to "human consumption". If I had $1 for every article I read that was clearly an attempt to use the "ick" factor to turn people away from such materials, I'd well, probably have a lot more chickens.

Feeding these things to animals makes a lot of sense, if they can make the economics work. Less "ick" factor, and the resources currently going to animal feed can go elsewhere.

 

[Cindy in PA]

This is just a paid ad for Tyson. Insect farming has been around a long time. The big hurdles are pests, diseases, bacteria, and protein in / protein out ratio making it difficult to be profitable. Purina markets an overpriced BSFL feed and refuses to disclose how much of the protein is BSFL, probably because its so expensive to add a significant amount to make a difference. I dont expect it to become a part of animal feeds anytime soon and I wouldn't feed it to my dogs or cat.

The Purina High Protein 19% is $21.29 at my feed mill, cheaper than Nutrena feeds etc., not so high priced, although I haven't used it.

 

[Cindy in PA]

This is what is making the rounds as "Tyson is putting insects in their meat" LOL.

 

[Apis mellifera]

The Purina High Protein 19% is $21.29 at my feed mill, cheaper than Nutrena feeds etc., not so high priced, although I haven't used it.

Its 16% at $25.99 for 40 lbs., the 20% is all plant protein. Purina claims it has BSFL in the Layena Free Range Layer. They wont list how much of the 16% is plant or animal protein.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/purina-layena-free-range-layer-feed-40-lb-3004968-205

EDIT: On the TSC site its 16% and on the Purina site its 19%, so nobody really knows what's in it.

 

[Penpal]

Well, I guess it's better that my free range chickens get their insect protein directly.

 

[Perris]

so nobody really knows what's in it.

isn't that the truth! Of any homogenized feed.

 

[Brooks_]

EDIT: On the TSC site its 16% and on the Purina site its 19%, so nobody really knows what's in it.

I would say err on the side that the tsc site is wrong. I have seen it wrong on more than one occasion.