*** OKIES in the BYC ***

[CayuseRanch]

Sooner - I have been lurking all morning and I think I may have been the last to post last night, but alas, I work all day and chat will be a minimum.

Only jumped in now because.....

Kassaundra...what the heck is that!?!?!?!

PS - Remember I am new so completely lost as to what the purpose of that contraption is.

 

[Kassaundra]

It is a composter/black soldier fly larva incubator/grower/collector. Black soldier fly larva are about 50% protien, good food for the chickens, easy to grow, self harvest into the little side bucket. You put food scraps and or chicken or pig poop in the composter, the female lays eggs in the cardboard holes and then they eat and grow in the biopod until they are ready to pupate then they crawl up the tube to the waiting collection bucket ready to sprinkle a few more in the bushy areas of your property (seeding the next generation) and feed the rest to the chickens. Soldier fly adults do not have a mouth at all, cannot bite or dirty your food, do not enter your home and out compete for resources w/ the pesky flies, and only live for a few days just long enough to mate and lay eggs. You don't have to buy a start here, they are already in our environment, just provide them w/ a good hatching ground and food source and let nature take it's course.

 

[CayuseRanch]

Quote:

: Ok...so you are purposefully breeding flies. With all the horses I have we have a ton of flies, I believe that would be the last thing I breed. Pray God I hope I don't ever breed flies. Cool contraption though and very handy that you made... impressed me!

 

[artsyrobin]

Quote:
yep- i am curious too

Ivy! you did all you could and she knew it too- i believe they are that aware- others may argue with me...but she knew you cherished her- i lost one of my first hens to a roo- you did the right thing- she may have been just too stressed by him- kudos for being brave enough to do that too!

 

[artsyrobin]

Quote:
maybe you could make a couple more for poops? i might want one!

 

[GotGame]

robin, you have mail...

 

[Cuban Longtails]

Ivy, sorry for your loss.

For your notes, incase it happens again, Preparation H will help reduce the swelling of the vent.

 

[artsyrobin]

Quote:
maybe you could make a couple more for poops? i might want one!

do you know in the UK they recommend maggots for recouperating battery hens?? so they must be full of nutrition- one post awhile ago said to hang an old milk bottle in the pen with a bit of dogfood, when they crawl out the hens get them- haven't had the nerve to do that

 

[artsyrobin]

Quote:
prep H? hmmm something to keep on hand

 

[Cuban Longtails]

Quote:

: Ok...so you are purposefully breeding flies. With all the horses I have we have a ton of flies, I believe that would be the last thing I breed. Pray God I hope I don't ever breed flies. Cool contraption though and very handy that you made... impressed me!

You need some Muscovy Ducks.

They are the best at reducing fly populations.


Some Black Soldier Fly Larvae information:

http://blacksoldierflyblog.com/