Closing the loop with BSFL

[velacreations]

Grains are grass seeds. Many have been modified by selective breeding to make them easier to grow and harvest. Different grains have different nutritional values but they are essentially grass seeds. Different wild grass seeds have different nutritional values. If you want to consider anything domesticated as unnatural, fine. You certainly can do that. But I see no real difference in the nutritional value of a domesticated grass seed versus a wild grass seed, as long as you consider it for its individual nutritional value and mix it into their balanced diet appropriately.

Grass seeds, yes, but grass seeds and corn are very different, especially nutritionally. There is a significant difference in grass seeds, and even the ancestors of common grains and the modern versions. That's why we feed grains instead of wild grass seed to chickens. My comment wasn't to suggest that grains are not good feed for chickens, but they are not what an ancestral chicken would have come across, whereas maggots are certainly within the natural diet of chickens.

Quote: I've been composting our human manure for 15 years, I'm way past the yuk factor. And in reality, it never bothered me that much to begin with. I understand not everyone feels the same way.

Manures are a resources, though, and we'd do good by considering them as that vs just waste products. They have a lot of usable energy (as the study shows), and if integrated properly, it can greatly increase the sustainability of our operations.

And when it's all said and done, I love the idea of free chicken feed!

 

[velacreations]

I realize the chickens would not be exposed to the "manure" only the larva, after they self harvest. I will go out on a limb here and say that a lot of folks would find handling human feces in this manner would be a little unsettling.

I also wonder if disposing of human waste in this manner is even legal?? "They" certainly have all kinds of laws concerning sanitation....

Well, composting toilets are legal in most areas, so this might be. I imagine that you'd want to keep it secret to avoid strange looks over the fence.

Yes, this isn't for everyone, but maybe some people.

 

[enola]

I already get strange looks over the fence....... I am locally known as The Crazy Chicken Lady !

 

[velacreations]

I already get strange looks over the fence....... I am locally known as The Crazy Chicken Lady !

well, there ya go, they probably wouldn't even notice a few grubs, then!

 

[enola]

I want to try BSFL this summer, I am going to use mine to consume leftovers after butchering, house hold scraps, eggs that don't hatch, chicks that die....... Things like that. I have also wondered if roadkill could be processed by BSFL. It seems to be such a waste to a wild animal's life....

 

[velacreations]

I want to try BSFL this summer, I am going to use mine to consume leftovers after butchering, house hold scraps, eggs that don't hatch, chicks that die....... Things like that. I have also wondered if roadkill could be processed by BSFL. It seems to be such a waste to a wild animal's life....

BSF really are wonderful in that role. Here's the bin I made/use for doing exactly what you are talking about: http://velacreations.com/food/animals/bsf/107.html

Roadkill can be processed really quickly with a proper sized colony. They love things like that, and will leave nothing but bones behind.

 

[enola]

Some where I read that BSFL eat the fly maggots. But, you think they actually repel flies?

 

[velacreations]

Some where I read that BSFL eat the fly maggots. But, you think they actually repel flies?

yes, I've seen a few studies/papers on the hormones they make specifically to repel other fly species. It's a food competition thing.

 

[velacreations]

Ok, since we already talked about feces, I figure I can talk about urine, too. The urine from one adult human has enough nutrients to grow 200 kg (~440 lbs) of grain a year. Combined with BSFL from the feces, you could provide your entire diet for your flock from your waste alone!



Quick calculations: 1 lb of humanure per adult per day = 1/2 lb of BSFL per day. Combine that with 1.2 lbs of grain grown with urine, and you have 1.7 lbs of chicken feed. That's enough for 35 lbs of chickens, or about 5-7 laying hens.

So, why are we buying feed, again?

 

[TalkALittle]

Ok, since we already talked about feces, I figure I can talk about urine, too.

Velacreations, I just wanted to let you know that I'm very intrigued by your ideas. Figuring out a way of eliminating what would otherwise be a waste product while at the same time creating a livestock feed source is the kind of thinking that is necessary if ever we want to move to a more sustainable way of existence.

A viable alternative to conventional human fecal waste processing such as this would not only be a way to deal with sanitation issues, but could impact hunger and poverty issues as well. I've often felt we could feed the world's hungry if we all just ate bugs anyway. Feeding bugs raised on poop to chickens is not something that would gross me out in the least. Heck, I'm actually wondering if it would be more efficient to cut the chicken out of the picture entirely and just eat the processed larva ourselves.