Feeding worms to chickens

[DownSouthOrps]

Mealworms are better for chickens very high in protein I got some for sale pm me free shipping

 

[Michael Apple]

With first considering digestibility, that determines what proteins are best utilized more efficiently by a chicken. A combination of animal and plant proteins will give best results in growth and egg production. Milk products contain some of the best protein supplements for a chicken's diet. Whey protein, a milk derivative is a good source of protein. The same with white fish in a freeze dried form which can be crumbled and added to feed rations periodically. Moist milk and fish can bring flies and unless it is eaten quickly, can attract flies which are vectors for tapeworms.Protein content should be monitored for mature egg layers which seem to do well on 16-18% protein diets. This is something to think about since mealworms do not benefit the diet compared to many other forms of animal proteins.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

It's true that chickens love worms, an it's true that worms carry intestinal parasites that chickens then get. That's one reason that some people put their chickens on a regular worming program. Chickens are going to get mites, lice, and intestinal worms. It's a matter of controlling populations well enough to keep them healthy.

A BIG 2 X on this comment.

Another problem is meal worms (the darkling beetle's larva stage) of unknown origins. Both the larva (meal worm) stage and the adult Darkling Beetle itself can result in chicken diseases and internal chicken parasites if they are raised in or harvested from used poultry litter.

The dampness from chicken waters coupled with spilled or waste chicken feed, deep litter and chicken manure (which the beetles dearly love) will result in a bumper crop of meal worms.
Salmonella is the most serious disease passed to chickens from eating infected meal worms that we humans need to be concerned with.

The damage that Darkling Beetles and meal worms do to commercial chicken houses usually result in yearly or at best bi-yearly repair bills.

 

[Nardo]

 

[Nardo]

Another problem is meal worms (the darkling beetle's larva stage) of unknown origins. Both the larva (meal worm) stage and the adult Darkling Beetle itself can result in chicken diseases and internal chicken parasites if they are raised in or harvested from used poultry litter.




Salmonella is the most serious disease passed to chickens from eating infected meal worms that we humans need to be concerned with.

Digging through posts for an answer and this one comes closest to hitting on my concerns.

I compost and have red crawlers, which I sometimes give to the chickens.
But I compost for garden/planting use and have not yet added chicken poop to the compost bin.

If I add chicken poop to the compost bin, which will obviously get eaten by worms, then is it not safe to feed these worms back to the chickens?