Experience with feeding chickens Spotted Lanternflies?

[bugfeeder]

Hi everyone!

I've been noticing a huge increase in the number of Spotted Lanternflies in the area and was considering harvesting them en masse as a gift for my chicken growing friends to treat their birds with. I want to do a little homework to make sure there aren't any negative effects if you feed a chicken a few dozen of these.

Please let me know if you have any experience or knowledge about using these insects as feed or a protein source for your birds. I'd also love to know what kind of format you'd prefer to receive such a gift - freshly frozen or dried out.

If you're raising chickens in the Newark NJ area, please let me know and I'll get you a bag to test out!

Thanks in advance!

 

[saysfaa]

Dead or alive? They are soooo invasive and so destructive, I wouldn't risk feeding them alive.

I've heard they are inedible after they feed on tree of heaven trees and that tree of heaven trees are their favorites.

 

[bugfeeder]

Dead or alive? They are soooo invasive and so destructive, I wouldn't risk feeding them alive.

I've heard they are inedible after they feed on tree of heaven trees and that tree of heaven trees are their favorites.

Definitely dead - where did you hear that about the tree of life (or heaven)?

 

[saysfaa]

I couldn't find the other website I found yesterday that I thought said it more clearly. https://blackgold.bz/how-do-i-stop-the-spotted-lanternfly-in-my-garden/#:~:text=Tree-of-heaven contains chemicals that make spotted lanternflies bad-tasting,in eastern Pennsylvania in the fall of 2014.

 

[bugfeeder]

Thank you! I'll have to test them out with some chickens before offering them publicly. Luckily nothing else I could find says that chickens would accumulate the chemicals

 

[saysfaa]

"Some chicken owners reported that their birds ate lanternflies, while others said the chickens avoided the insects after one taste." From https://www.pennlive.com/life/2020/09/what-eats-spotted-lanternflies.html

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I don't have any experience with lanternflies, but I will say that I LOVE the idea of feeding invasive species to chickens...what a great way to "stack functions"...reduce the number of invasives, feed your flock for free, boost protein, and reduce the need for commercial feed shipped long distances.

 

[bugfeeder]

Thanks

I don't have any experience with lanternflies, but I will say that I LOVE the idea of feeding invasive species to chickens...what a great way to "stack functions"...reduce the number of invasives, feed your flock for free, boost protein, and reduce the need for commercial feed shipped long distances.

RI is pretty close to NJ -> I'll be sure to post when I've collected and prepped samples, I'd be happy to send you some to test with your birds, if you'd like

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Thanks

RI is pretty close to NJ -> I'll be sure to post when I've collected and prepped samples, I'd be happy to send you some to test with your birds, if you'd like

Yes, assuming it’s not breaking a law to ship them dead, that may be interesting to see the results!

 

[Regina Larsen]

I couldn't find the other website I found yesterday that I thought said it more clearly. https://blackgold.bz/how-do-i-stop-the-spotted-lanternfly-in-my-garden/#:~:text=Tree-of-heaven contains chemicals that make spotted lanternflies bad-tasting,in eastern Pennsylvania in the fall of 2014.

yeah the ToH is their preferred host plant. It would be nice if they skipped everything else and took out the damn invasive TOHs