Any experience with feeding BSF to chickens?

[aliciamruiz]

I recently read this article that says that feeding insects to chickens have a lot of benefits. Anyone has any positive or negative experiences?

Thanks

 

[Crazy Maizie]

That's what I give my chickens. But, only as a treat. I don't grow them or anything like that though.

 

[TooCheep]

I've been feeding dried BSFL to my chickens for about 3 years. They love them, but I feed them only as a treat or supplement to their commercial feed and free range grazing.

Chickens are omnivores and insects are a natural part of chicken free range foraging. Commercially grown & dried BSFL makes feeding high quality insect protein to your chickens much easier.

Dried mealworms are also commercially available, but I switched to BSFL due to a better nutrition profile.

You can grow your own live BSFL, but I live too far north for that to be done easily.

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As for that article, I wasn't terribly impressed. It claims that you will get more eggs by feeding BSFL, but that is false unless your chickens are badly malnourished.

 

[Altairsky]

The article is probably sponsored by BSFL industry.
Fish like sardines, shrimps or crabs give similar nutritional values at a much lower price.
BSFL protein content ranges between 25% to 53%, I always consider true the lowest value. Hemp seeds contains 30% protein and are much cheaper, at least where I live.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

The article is probably sponsored by BSFL industry.
Fish like sardines, shrimps or crabs give similar nutritional values at a much lower price.
BSFL protein content ranges between 25% to 53%, I always consider true the lowest value. Hemp seeds contains 30% protein and are much cheaper, at least where I live.

You might be interested in this info: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6209/4/1/7

 

[igorsMistress]

I give my crew BSFL as a treat, hemp seed also.

I know someone that feeds garden scraps and BAFL to his flock, no commercial feed. I am not impressed with the appearance of his flock or the eggs I got from him. The eggs had thin shells and the yolks broke quite easily.

As a treat I think it’s ok. As a main staple I don’t agree it’s effective. Unlike wild fowl, our flocks don’t have the ability to roam over miles to find what they need nutritionally.

 

[aliciamruiz]

The article is probably sponsored by BSFL industry.
Fish like sardines, shrimps or crabs give similar nutritional values at a much lower price.
BSFL protein content ranges between 25% to 53%, I always consider true the lowest value. Hemp seeds contains 30% protein and are much cheaper, at least where I live.

Lower price? People are selling this BSF live for $0.9 per kg

 

[Altairsky]

Good for you, lol, here it's 21 euro per kg.

 

[Altairsky]

You might be interested in this info: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6209/4/1/7

Sorry but they lost me at the "eu green deal" part. Be careful about scientific papers, most are sponsored and they can prove everything and the opposite of everything, equally. Once I read a scientific paper proving that a famous brand of chocolate snacks would stimulate digestion if eaten after a meal. The company needed this research done so they could legally put this "fact" in their advertisement. Too bad there was no control group that ate a generic chocolate snack, otherwise the result would be that any sweet snack aid digestion if eaten after a large meal. Which was already proven in previous studies.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Sorry but they lost me at the "eu green deal" part. Be careful about scientific papers, most are sponsored and they can prove everything and the opposite of everything, equally. Once I read a scientific paper proving that a famous brand of chocolate snacks would stimulate digestion if eaten after a meal. The company needed this research done so they could legally put this "fact" in their advertisement. Too bad there was no control group that ate a generic chocolate snack, otherwise the result would be that any sweet snack aid digestion if eaten after a large meal. Which was already proven in previous studies.

I was just referencing it since they were feeding bsfl Hemp seed remnants. I get what you're saying though.