Someone gave us a bag of scratch feed that had never been opened. We've fed some of it to the chickens along with the layer feed they get everyday. Anyway, yesterday I noticed it was really infested with tiny little bugs of some sort. Should I stop feeding it to them? It seems as though the chickens would eat these bugs anyway if they were just getting them in the yard etc.
Just my $.02-worth (didn't there used to be a cent symbol???) but I'd say that as long as it isn't moldy it would be fine.
I might be less concerned with scratch, rather than the main feed. I wouldn't use it for a few reasons. 1-Bugs do eliminate waste. 2-They may effect the nutrition of the feed. 3-Some bugs are toxic themselves. A few bugs, I think would be OK, not an infestation. Imp
I would feed it. Almost all bugs are good for chickens lots of protein. that would raise the nutrition value of the feed If the bugs were toxic to them chickens are smart they probably won't eat them. Pretty unlikely there toxic On the waste thing chickens eat poop their own poo the dogs poo the hogs poo anythings poo why not bug poo. If you have a deep freeze and want to kill them so they don't spread to your other feed put the feed in a plastic garbage bag and stick in the freezer for a couple days.
Had the same issue just noticed it today, hatched right outta the country wise scratch grains I bought from local feed store. Thanks for the advise I just popped it in the deep freeze and will either feed it or return it, AFTER THE BUGS ARE DEAD!!!!!! I read somewhere they put DE in human and chicken feed to kill weevles bugs etc now, I remember as a kid we'd always get bugs in flower or corn meal if it was in the cupboard. I even bought some cheap popcorn a few months ago and it hatched bugs ewwww......
I would feed it. Think of it this way: how much scratch are you feeding? If you're like most people you probably toss out a handful here and there. In that 'tossing' all the pieces go flying and the birds pick up the seeds they see lying around. It's a pretty good bet that the bugs and buggy poo aren't going to be easy for the chickens to find so even if they do eat some...it wont be much. You could always screen it if it makes you feel better...I'd just toss it to them. Just my $.02
yep i just want to kill the creepy crawlers first so they dont invade my other grains human or animal feed! deep freeze was a great idea! kills worms in fish too!!
