Does anyone else raise insects for their birds?

[Bubba]

I raise Mealworms & Pupa, Crickets, Japanese Beetles & Larva, Earthworms, Pillbugs, Slugs and 4 types of water snails in fishtanks. Does anyone else raise anything exotic for their birds? I grow alot of different plants for them to. I uproot the whole plant or break branches off then throw it in their area.

Bubba

 

[hollyclyff]

I raise tropical cockroaches for our bearded dragon and turtles. It's not as gross as it sounds - they're actually much nicer to keep than crickets. I never thought of giving them to the chickens though.

 

[Wolfpacker]

I don't raise them on purpose, but I have lots of slugs in my storage bin where I keep their food and supplies. Every time I find one, they get it.

Does it take chicks long to acquire tastes for veggies? My 9 week old ones will eat grass at times and love bugs and slugs, but I've offered squash, tomatoes. lettuce, marigolds, grapes, and they just look at me like I'm crazy. Throw in some oatmeal, though, and Katie bar the door!

 

[Bailey]

Don't raise anything exotic- We live in the boonies- just invite the bugs and they show up

I raise maggots- gave instructions in "Cheap Cheeps"

A couple days ago my zucchini fell down- pulled back the mulch and there were these nasty little white bugs. I threw out some scratch- the girls dug out the mulch, ate the bugs - I dusted them all- plants-birds etc with some DE

Funny thing- I was going to raise earthworms as a feed but my birds won't eat them... They're afraid of the nightcrawlers- 12"+

but thought they'd go for the redworms... must be the soil- I can't grow edible spuds

 

[wegotchickens]

My girls didn't like fruits & veggies when they were t\\younger, but love them now. I've thought about buying crickets at the pet store to see what the peeps would do with them. They love the corn worms that came with some corn cob ends I gave them last night...

 

[bayouchica]

I've been raising mealworms since last Nov. Always good to have handy.You can tell if a chickens is really sick if they won't eat a mealworm. Plus they are so easy to raise.My hubby just built me a shelf for the worm trays & makes it so much easier & takes up less space.
I'd love to grow crickets but I need a place outside cause they are stinky. Hopefully next spring.

Miriam

 

[frankenchick]

I read a cool article in Countryside (I think) about drilling holes in a bucket, then using mulch and roadkill to raise maggots for the protein. I was excited about it -- we have so much roadkill just going to waste -- but my DH said no.

 

[Wolfpacker]

The last time I saw maggots . . .

Well, just read my thread in the "Predators and Pest" section. I never want to see a maggot again as long as I live.

In fact, from now on, I don't even want to say the word. It will now become "the M-word" to me.

 

[Bubba]

Hollycliff thats a great idea, yea I know your not talking house roaches haha. You may have to cut the thorax lengthwise for your birds if you feed them. I have to with the japanese beetles with the babys, the bigger birds rippem up no problem.



Wolfpacker I have a treat bowl that I have in their outdoor space, they know whatever hits that bowl is food. Works best when they are hungry in the morning. I've had 2 week old birds grubbin on grapes, figs, strawberries and whatever greens I can shred up for them. I start my birds on grass at 2 weeks. I just grab handfulls of it then rip it into 1-2 inch long pieces toss it in the cage and they go nuts. If your birds don't have access to dirt then you must give them grit if they are eating anything green and maybe even some bugs because chitin can be pretty tough.

Oh Wolf you need to realize that the maggots might have saved your birds life.... They eat rotting flesh first, the kind that causes disease. Maggots and leeches have their uses. Thou it does look nasty. One of the most gruesome sights I ever saw had to do with them. I found a dead baby cow when I was hunting as a child. It had maggots pouring out of its nose, mouth and eyes. Being the off kilter kinda of guy I am I of course took aim at it with my 12 gauge. Boom the thing literally EXPLODED all over, maggots and flesh flying through the air. A sight I will never forget and now neither will you

Bailey I used to raise maggots for other non food animals, your right I should start again(Thou it does trouble me to feed maggots that eat rotting flesh to a bird im gona eat, I know it won't do anything its just me). I grab anything that moves in my garden for the birds unless its a predator bug.


Bubba

 

[WindyOaksYokes]

LOL... we live out in the boonies too... don't need to raise the bugs, they are already here... hmmm... or were

All my babies have full bellies... Might I add, I havent seen a tic since my chickens started free ranging. And the junebugs that were eating my roses all dissapered. YEAH!!!

Question: Is it okay for chickens to eat mice???????? I have found a couple of my roosters chasing, attacking and eating mice. I live on 40 acres in the middle of no where so mice are an everyday occurance. I just didnt know if the mice would harm them, so far they havent... but looking for a positive answer. Not like I can really stop them for eating them now can I?!?!?!?!

Tes