fly maggots

[dragonlair]

I think I remembered someone posting on here that they made a fly trap/net of sorts that they loaded with meat (maybe?) and hung in the chicken area. When the maggots started hatching and crawling, they fell out and the chickens ate them? I can't find the post, but I am interested in trying it. Does anyone remember that and what they used to hold the food source?

 

[Denninmi]

I had a thought about harvesting live adult flies, but I don't know if it is safe from a disease/germ standpoint. If it is, I think it would be a relatively simple method.

I noticed a lot of flies buzzing around some litter I had mucked out and hauled to the compost.

My thought -- I could bait a couple of 2 liter pop bottles with a little bit of something stinky, like maybe some cat food. Let them sit out where the flies congregate.

Flies are good at going in, but not so good at getting out of 2 liter bottles. Most of them get trapped.

When there is a large number of flies in there, I could pop a lid on it, wipe the outside down with bleach, pop the whole thing into a ziploc, and put it in the freezer for an hour to kill them. Then, just shake out for the birds and start all over.

Just wanted to make sure it was safe first, no icky diseases or parasites?

Also, later in the summer with the right bait, probably could catch a lot of wasps and yellow jackets this way.

 

[Ariel301]

I've seen the "maggot farm" idea before on the internet while searching for free food ideas for chickens. http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Feeding-Chickens-Maggots.html I haven't tried it, as I don't think my non-farming in-laws who we live with would approve lol.

 

[woodmort]

Actually if your chickens have access to their manure they will harvest their own maggots--it is an ideal way to keep fly populations down as well as supply "treats". A common mistake many people make is to have setups that prohibit the bird from getting at their droppings--this is a system designed to produce fly problems.

 

[dragonlair]

While I clean out their house weekly, I don't get to their outside pen as often. After reading the added warning, i decided that maybe growing maggots might not be a good idea after all.

 

[andalusn]

During the summer months if I noticed maggots on the garbage can I would knock them off and call the hens.. once they noticed the wigglers they went nuts cleaning them all up. I just told them they were good girls! My chickens treat going to the manure pile out back (horse, sheep) like its their daily job. Considering where I dump the fresh it amazes me how well the chickens can turn the manure as well as move the pile. I now need to take a tractor to it so it can be moved back about 6 feet. I will put manure in the garden and the hens go to work on it and compost it well before planting season. I originally got the chickens for their pest control ability and I have noticed a difference.