All I can say is "GROSS!!"

[Blisschick]

I don't know about that. Purposely calling your babies to a crawling can is just...blecch! I used to do garbage pick-up in a mobile home park, so I'm visualizing a pretty nasty can, there, girl...

 

[EweSheep]

I am sure its safe to feed the maggots, the grits in gizzard and powerful acids in stomach would not make them survive. Thats my guess. Never caused any harm to my girls!

 

[Blisschick]

I don't think there's any harm in it. The only think I know offhand that's bad for birds is fireants, and they don't usually touch them. They taste bad.

 

[riderbecky]

Quote:
You are a fascinating woman MissP! Way more ambitious(sp?) the I, for sure. Knowing my luck, I'd go outside one day to find my 2yr old raiding the magggot bucket.

How's the piggy?

 

[MissPrissy]

She is fat and needs a boyfried. LOL

 

[riderbecky]

Quote:
It was just the lid (it was crawling with them) that we put on the driveway like a bowl in which to serve them. Sorry if I didn't make that clear. Also I had just rinsed the can on Saturday as we took the the trash to the dump.

I don't worry too much about the girls. They are constantly digging through the horse pooh looking for yummies... and lord only knows what else.

 

[Blisschick]

I get the big, clumsy dung beetles looking to dig through the chicken and turkey poop. They're so stupid, I can sometime hear them smacking repeatedly into the side of my house while in flight. You'd think after the first time, it would get the hint that it hit something.

 

[Wynette]

Okay, so someone posted a few weeks back about actually making a maggot bucket - I was thinking of posting to ask how to do so, although it's gross...but the maggots must be wicked good protein for the chickens! Does anyone know how to make a maggot bucket? I feel like the jyst of it was a plastic bucket with lid and holes in the bottom, put a piece of meat or veggie scraps in, and hang it up...flies can go into the holes to lay eggs, and as the maggots hatch, they fall through the holes of the bucket - yep, it all sounds gross, but I'm all for good protein for my girls and roos!

 

[key west chick]

When I do a real good cleaning of my goatie pen and clean out the wet hay they waste I find dozens of big beetle grubs that are about 2 inches long. I collect them and feed them to my girls!They LOVE them!

 

[MissPrissy]

Off the subject of maggots for a minute - My husband loves to find a mice nest in the barn. He loves to watch the roosters dance for a meal. The hens just attack head one and race around in a frenzy with their bodies dangling by a tail from their beaks. I don't care what they eat like that I just can't watch it. Something about eating a mouse makes me queazy. LOL

So - the maggot bucket -

I do not advocate a bucket with meat so don't do that part -

here is a thread

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=66179

and another link for a bucket

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Feeding-Chickens-Maggots.html