HELP Bugs in chicken feed

[TheChickenGirl16]

If they want to kill the bugs, yep! Again, they're completely fine to eat and the chickens will find them tasty.

Yes! Though I hate it, my chickens love when they get earwigs in their feed!
(Extra protein!)

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Yes! Though I hate it, my chickens love when they get earwigs in their feed!
(Extra protein!)

nom nom nom

 

[Fluffy_Butt_Hutt]

Yes! Though I hate it, my chickens love when they get earwigs in their feed!
(Extra protein!)

I hand feed my girls them if I can catch them, I want them gone! The protein is a side benefit to me not crushing it myself. They're fine in the ground, but not in the raised coop. I don't feed my chickens in there so it's confusing why the earwigs seem to enjoy hiding right under what will be the death of them.

 

[MROO]

That is a nontoxic beetle. Looks like a latridiidae or a drugstore beetle. Both are chicken safe, do not let in to your house! If you are to freeze it for over 48 hours to kill the bugs, double bag it in garbage bags and then tape shut! Both lured by mildew/water and are a common house pest, very hard to get rid of if inside the house. Does not cause wood damage, simple foragers.

For this reason alone, I recommend "offing" the bugs. Your chickens won't care if they're moving or not ... they're still a good protein snack!

 

[Debbie292d]

I hand feed my girls them if I can catch them, I want them gone! The protein is a side benefit to me not crushing it myself. They're fine in the ground, but not in the raised coop. I don't feed my chickens in there so it's confusing why the earwigs seem to enjoy hiding right under what will be the death of them.

I've never had this happen, but I think I'd be inclined to try putting a couple of chickens right in there. Clean up the poops later.

 

[Al Gerhart]

They are quite heat resistant, so the cooking wouldn't work without fire hazard or charring the food.

Not so.

To heat treat for insects in cabinet hardwoods you start at 120 degrees and go up to 140 degrees if you want to kill the eggs, or for for hard to kill insects like bed bugs.

Specifically, drugstore beetles, minimum heat is 125 degrees for four hours to kill all forms including the eggs.

Restaurants hold food at 140 degrees as the danger point for food is between 40 and 140 degrees. Proteins begin to coagulate at 140 degrees F, at 150 degrees the starches gelatinize and begin absorbing water from inside the insects cells.

Charring of grain begins around 220 degrees. It was once used to preserve grain in ancient times and has been studied by archaeologists to understand grain found in digs that has survived repeated wetting and drying over thousands of years.

The ignition of most grains isn't going to happen until it is over 300 degrees.

So, used with a modicum of common sense, using heat to kill insects in feed is both safe and effective.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Not so.

To heat treat for insects in cabinet hardwoods you start at 120 degrees and go up to 140 degrees if you want to kill the eggs, or for for hard to kill insects like bed bugs.

Specifically, drugstore beetles, minimum heat is 125 degrees for four hours to kill all forms including the eggs.

Restaurants hold food at 140 degrees as the danger point for food is between 40 and 140 degrees. Proteins begin to coagulate at 140 degrees F, at 150 degrees the starches gelatinize and begin absorbing water from inside the insects cells.

Charring of grain begins around 220 degrees. It was once used to preserve grain in ancient times and has been studied by archaeologists to understand grain found in digs that has survived repeated wetting and drying over thousands of years.

The ignition of most grains isn't going to happen until it is over 300 degrees.

So, used with a modicum of common sense, using heat to kill insects in feed is both safe and effective.

Isn’t it @Shadrach who took a propane torch to his coops to kill mites, etc.?

 

[Minanora]

My chicken scratch has weevils and I just feed it to the chickens. The weevils provide a tiny bit of extra protein! The only problem with the weevils is that I don't give my chickens a lot of scratch in the summer so my summer bag gets pretty eaten by the weevils.