Maggot Farming!! Please answer :)

[chochopops]

Hello everyone!
This is my first thread post on BYC and super excited to get to know you all~

I have just bought 4 Brown Shaver hens from a local chicken farmer, 18 months and started laying again.
I feed them a feed called "peck n lay" (protein 16%) but also feed maggots as a substitute on some days.

The maggot farming is going great and heaps of maggots falling into the bucket i have underneath a hole filled main bucket (with meat etc in it). However, the holes I have put in the main bucket keep leaking the meat "juices"...
Is this "juice" safe for chickens to eat or should I be rinsing the maggots before the chickens get fed?

All advice/info or other suggestions is greatly appreciated~

Thank you!

 

[4 the Birds]

No experience or advice. I just had to chime in. Maggot Farming sounds GROSS!

 

[Shellz]

Same here, but its not gross. It's a perfectly acceptable method of acquiring protein for your flock. I've heard of the method, but never practiced it.
I sure hope somebody will chime in and assist you! Bet of luck!

 

[jdywntr]

I have heard of people doing this. A great source of protein. I haven't done it myself but I'd think the "juices" wouldn't be the best for them, I don't know for sure though.

Are you taking the maggots in the bucket and then feeding the chickens? Or do they help themselves?

If you are feeding them, I'd go ahead and rinse a bit, can't hurt and if anything would dilute whatever bad bacteria etc that may be in the juices. If they help themselves, I'd just let the maggots fall on the ground. The chickens can pick them up and you could periodically water down the area under the bucket and/or move it every now and then.

I though about doing this but I am concerned that rotting meat would attract predators like coyotes and vultures. Do you have any problems with that?

 

[jdywntr]

Here's an article I found. I may try it myself

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Feeding-Chickens-Maggots.html

 

[jak2002003]

That is disgusting and unsafe.

The 'juices' will contain millions of harmful bacteria that will make you birds sick eventually, and could even make you sick from eating the eggs or getting bacteria on your hands handling stuff in the coop.

You can not feed maggots as a SUBSTITUTE to the feed - they should only be fed as a SUPPLEMENT.

Also maggots need cleaning before feeding to the birds.

I used to feed maggots to my exotic birds but I would always put them in trays with flour and shavings for 24 hours to empty their guts and clan their bodies first.

You are asking for major problems feeding you birds like that - its got be be easier and less disgusting to feed them meal worms.

 

[Shellz]

I would never support the feeding of maggots as their only feed. Just for winter supplementation. I would definitely do more research into this if I thought I would try it. There's info out there about using soldier flies as well.

 

[chochopops]

I feed them in the afternoon. I'll be sure to wash them down before feeding ^^

No, here in NZ we don't have vultures or many predators of chickens except dogs and the occasional hawk.


Thank you for the info~

 

[chochopops]

That is disgusting and unsafe.

The 'juices' will contain millions of harmful bacteria that will make you birds sick eventually, and could even make you sick from eating the eggs or getting bacteria on your hands handling stuff in the coop.

You can not feed maggots as a SUBSTITUTE to the feed - they should only be fed as a SUPPLEMENT.

Also maggots need cleaning before feeding to the birds.

I used to feed maggots to my exotic birds but I would always put them in trays with flour and shavings for 24 hours to empty their guts and clan their bodies first.

You are asking for major problems feeding you birds like that - its got be be easier and less disgusting to feed them meal worms.

Thank you for you opinion,

It definitely is "disgusting" and unethical,but like most people I want to decrease the feed costs of my birds.
I am aware of the disadvantages/harms that maggot farming can do and only started it because 2 of my chicken farming friends also did so without problem.
As with the "substitute" part it isn't 100% maggot feed, I free range them, they have access to a HUGE variety of fruit, vegetable insects and also fed 80% of chook food and the other 20% maggots in percentage.
Also by the time I feed them their last meal of the day, they don't eat it until the next morning (because they're so full i guess).
I have read into meal worms as well but they are more time consuming/takes a longer time to reproduce.

 

[chochopops]

Hello,
No, I don't feed maggots only (sorry lack of info there). They free range on fruit, veges, and also fed laying hen food.I only substitute 20ish% of chicken food for maggots which I was told was fine to do.
I have looked into BSF but as I'm aware of, NZ doesn't have them in abundant amounts so kind of hard to do.