does anyone cultivate bugs for food sources?

[BankerJohn]

My chickens just love, love, love, love, love crickets. And, just about any other bug that is unfortunate enough to crawl or fly into my chicken pen.

Are there any of you out there that grows your own bugs for feed supplement to your chickens (i.e. crickets, mealworms, etc.)? If so, what do you do? How would you advise someone wanting to do this? Is it messy or time consuming?

Please post pics of your bug grow out stuff too so we can see it.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Mine have plenty of free range bugs so I don't "grow" them, but lots of folks on here do. Google worm farming and there is lots of information on setups and how to get started. Same with crickets.

 

[Roo_in_the_roost]

I have a small red wiggler farm, for compost and garden soil I throw the girls a few from time to time It's very inexpensive and the soil is awsome. you can usally find a pound of them for about $15 add some dirt and shredded paper in a wooden box (about 4 sq feet per hundred, throw some scraps inside and wait a few months great protien supplement. Also saves me a ton on fishing bait

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

I do mealworms - started with two small containers from a pet store.


http://www.sialis.org/raisingmealworms.htm

 

[BankerJohn]

bump

 

[Whispering Winds]

I want to know more about the "worms in a box" please.

 

[PunkinPeep]

After doing some online research, we discovered we can easily breed crickets in a couple of rubbermaid tubs. We haven't gotten started yet, but we're planning to make that a big part of the chickens' diet. We can also sell crickets for bait and for treats to other chicken folks.

 

[Young Sauterelle]

I wouldn't say that I exactly raise bugs for my chooks, but I know where to find them, and I will take the time to scoop up some bugs to throw in their run for entertainment and snacking, which my husband thinks is particularly odd behavior. They do a very good job catching every unfortunate bug to venture into their run, plus I let them range the fenced yard once a day, so they have that pretty well picked clean of worms. However, there is a pile of old wood which has a slew of those roly-poly bugs, worms, snails, and centipedes underneath it. When I want to treat the girls, I just get a trowel full and add it to their run. However, now they expect it, and whenever I walk by, they run up to me and start whistling and clucking in hopes I'll throw something their way.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I'm raising mealworms (it's only been a week) and I found very clear instructions here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=30444