Need Advice!!!Bugs in feed!

[countrychick14]

I found these small reddish-brown insects in our broiler feed. It is a high protein feed that I am having a hard time finding. I need to feed it to them for 7 more days til show. If I could find it anywhere else I would throw it all out, but after calling feed stores in 4 counties I can't find anywhere to buy any. I know your not supposed to feed chickens feed with bugs in it, but I don't want to give them a totally different feed and upset their diet either. Especially this close to show. Do you think it will hurt them? Worried and aggravated!!!!!!! I just don't know what I should do. I called Purina by the way, they are sending me vouchers to replace the cost.

 

[Dar]

i would ask the feed store to make the calls and get another bag.. or get something close.. i would not feed it to the chickens

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

It seems to me that chickens eat bugs and bugs are a great source of protein. People have meal worm farms to raise meal worms to feed their chickens for special treats. Furthermore, I've noticed that my chickens stay away from some sorts of ants and know better than to try to eat a stink beetle, so if it we me, I'd give them some of the feed and see if the first thing they gobbled up was the bugs. If the chickens avoid the bugs, maybe you could pour the feed through a sifter and remove the bugs...something I seem to remember doing with flour once when I was a broke college kid and found meal worms or weavels or something gross in my flour.

 

[southerndesert]

They are likely weevils and will not harm your chickens, but will quickly ruin a bag of food. Try putting into a plastic or metal container with some DE at about 2% or better and most times that will work as long as dry.

There are other methods as well if you can't or don't want to return it, but DE has worked well for us over the years.

 

[countrychick14]

Where can I find some DE?

 

[southerndesert]

Quote:
You need to buy Food Grade DE (diotomatious earth) and your feed store should carry it..... If you do a search here at the forum you will find much info.

 

[saladin]

They'll eat the bugs with no problems. The only insect I try to stay away from is maggots. Some folks raise and feed maggots, cut I don't.

What I don't understand is the reason you are feeding the high protein feed. You said for a show. I've been showing a long time and I am completely lost at any reason for doing this. Do you mind giving an explanation? Is this a special type show for broilers.

 

[wayne hulgan]

Quote:
Feed it to the chicks. Chicks love bugs, chicks love feed, what could be better.

 

[72elizabeth]

Country chick14. I bought 2 bags of feed from Central States in FL. I didn't see it at first, but bugs were appearing on my walls and on the floor. I keep my feed in the house (controlled environmnent). The air conditioning keeps it cool. Chickens, guineas all eat bugs. They are weevils. Go ahead and feed the chix. I put DE in both bags and I DE my whole house. I kept the DE down for a month and no more bugs or Central States! DE is safe for all animals and humans. Must be food graded. Google Diatomaces, that's the long name for DE. Hope this helps.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

The reason people don't like the bugs in the feed is that by the time the bugs finish with the feed the nutrients are gone. Chickens will eat the bugs.

I would feed it and use the food grade DE as others have suggested. I used to add DE to my feed at 1% or so routinely, so it isn't harmful. On the bag it will say it is a feed additive. But I would be putting that feed out in the chicken coop and not keeping it in my garage with the other feed, lol!!!

However, if you cannot use the whole bag VERY quickly I would return it to the feed store if your bag came infested from the store. New feed should be free from bugs!