Maggots

[Magriet]

I really need some help here. On the smallholding where we have to take over the chickens there are lots of things wrong. I will ask my question one by, not all at once in one thread. I do not think I will be able to handle the stress.

On to the maggots. I know maggots are a very good source of protein for broilers and as these are technically free range, maggots are a part of their diet. What worries me is that they have a bin with holes at the bottom on a tray in every cage. This is still fine, but what I do not think is right is that they throw all the dead chickens in there and then the maggots crawl out the holes. Healthy chickens that have been smothered as seems to happen a lot to broilers and the ones that have been trampled ( I will address that later) but not the ill ones. I think the maggots can spread the disease. At the moment there is a big problem with E-Coli overgrowth and I think the maggots can be carriers and infect the chickens once again. They are giving the chickens probiotics, but I think the problem is too big.

 

[sourland]

Sounds like a nightmare to me. Do you have to take over this responsibility ?

 

[Ridgerunner]

It sounds like a version of the black fly larva feeding method. You put some dead meat up where the chickens can't get to it to eat it (they will if they can), let the flies lay eggs, and the maggots fall through where the chickens eat them. I don't do that but have read about it on this forum.

 

[Magriet]

Sounds like a nightmare to me. Do you have to take over this responsibility ?

Yes! And it is a nightmare, at least if I could sleep it would be. We have to take over responsibility, I am not sure when. I am a little desperate here. I am actually looking into finding a slower growing breed, still meat birds, but I have not yet been able to in South Africa.

 

[sourland]

A viable source of 'protein' - the problem here is that that the source of 'maggot food' is chickens that have died and the possibility that they may have died from an infectious entity. Sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

 

[Magriet]

I agree, if only the present owner would believe me! It cannot possibly be healthy

 

[Kiki]

You are planning to take over a place that is raising meat birds for meat and you are thinking ahead on how to do things differently?

Do you have pictures?

 

[Magriet]

Unfortunately no pictures, and yes I hope to do things better. We are supposed to be in training but it is no training. AT this very moment my husband is there washing all the waterers and feeders, if it can be called that. We were supposed to take over a fully functioning broiler farm and this is anything but. We are refusing to take over until things are in a better state, so we will see what happens. I am just very worried about the maggot situation.

 

[RUNuts]

Maggot farms were gaining popularity, but I think salmonella or another bacterial infection become widespread and discouraged this practice. Not seeing it as much now. Throwing dead birds above live birds sounds terrible and the stench must be terrible too.

I agree. I think the method as you described is spreading disease.

If you put carbon sources (paper, wood shavings, wood chips, used bedding, saw dust or leaves) in the bin also, the smell and the biology will change into composting instead of rotting. The carbon rich source will absorb the liquid and smell, heat up with composting and kill pathogens. Letting the meat rot and the flies multiply sounds bad.

An alternative to consider for the carcasses is to start a composting station. With a broiler farm, collect the poop, bedding and dead birds, add more carbon sources, wet it down and let it heat up. Lots of information on the web about this. I suggest starting with Polyface Farm videos and see how Joel Salatin handles the offal (butchering waste and dead animals) at his farm. The side benefit is wonderful compost. There are also chicken composting videos where food waste is converted into compost/fertilizer for farms with the use of chickens. And it smells healthy and not of decay.

Best wishes!

 

[Magriet]

Thank you, I also think I am going to insist on stopping this and make better use of all the waste.