Just bought feed...full of bugs!!

[Heelers&Chickens_OhMy]

I just bought a 50 lb bag of organic layer feed. It's filled with bugs! I noticed these guys were in my last bag of feed, but I figured they came from MY house. Looks like they're coming from the feed store! They are probably about 1/8 in long, beetle-like, reddish/brownish in color. They appear harmless - but if not, let me know!

How do I get them OUT of my feed!?

 

[EweSheep]

Take them back to the feed store and have them give you another bag. Open that bag in front of them to make sure they dont have bugs in them.

It must have been OLD feed if that feed has that many bugs in them.

 

[eggsforsale]

Be very careful. You could get these bugs in your house. I'm sure you know that you shouldn't store any animal feed in your house. You never know what bugs it could carry. I agree with Ewesheep...I'll betcha it's old. Organic is more expensive so it probably sits in the warehouse longer.

 

[Heelers&Chickens_OhMy]

EweSheep - I just think I'm not going to buy the feed from there again. I'm not hell bent on the organic feed - it's full of soy. I don't want feed that's full of corn either...::sigh:: I think I'll get to making my own at some point....

eggsforsale - you're so right, I do NOT want these suckers in my house!! I put extra DE along all the cracks. the bag is sitting in the middle of the backyard for the moment while I try to figure out what I want to do. I am so peeved! This feed store is alllllll the way across town and I really don't want to go allllll the way back!

 

[jhm47]

Your chickens would probably love to eat these bugs. Try giving them a few and see what happens. Bugs are a great source of protein, and I'll bet the feed store didn't charge you extra for the bugs!

 

[Sunny the Hippie Chick]

If the bag is not completely infested. Kill them off so they cant eat and distroy the protein in the feed. Do this by wrapping the bag with suran wrap. And put it in your freezer. If you have a freezer that is big enough. I usually do it for 24-48 hours. Then try to store it in an air tight container after that.

But if the bag is heavily infested. I would take it back and go to a different feed store. Cause more than likely all the bags will be like that.

 

[Heelers&Chickens_OhMy]

Quote:
I just so happen to have a MIGHTY big freezer!! I feed the dogs a raw diet and I can hold many, many pounds of meat in my freezer. I can take something out to thaw for the night. Thank you thank you for the suggestion!!!!!

 

[jvls1942]

freeng them might not kill them.. they might just go dormant and wake up when they thaw out..

It is no big deal.. they are probably just meal beetles.. feed the feed and THEM to the chickens.
they will probably thank you for it..

If they eat the protein, it will be stored in their bodies and the chickens will get it in the end..

 

[speckledhen]

First of all, I return any buggy feed (well, the co-op doesn't have buggy feed, but the other feedstore did). Bugs destroy the vitamins in the feed, not to mention grinding it to powder, and you are then buying an inferior product. Never feed buggy feed to your chickens; it even says right on the bag not to do that.

 

[FlashPointFarm]

It sounds like Weevil, evil little bugs.