Saving Money

[Kirkwooder]

If you have a queasy stomach you might not want to read any further.

Insect larvae are a great feed source and can be produced for free feed as well. Growing maggots at home in warm weather is so incredibly simple that it amazes me that more poultry fanciers don't do it. I take all my meat scrap from my kitchen, fish carcass from my fishing excursions, all my poultry processing scraps, and even rodents trapped around the homestead and use them to produce, free, protein rich, food for my poultry.

Here's how I do it. I use a 5 gallon bucket with several 1/4" holes drilled in the bottom. I put a couple inches of sawdust in the bottom of the bucket. I then put the meat scrap in the bucket and cover it with saw dust. Then I put a lid with just one 1/4" hole drilled in the top. I then hang the bucket about 5 feet off the ground in my chicken run. Flies will find the decaying material and lay their eggs through the hole in the top of the bucket, the maggots will grow and attempt to find their way out the bottom. I put a box, roughly 3'x3'x1', half full of sawdust under the bucket to catch the larva as they drop out. The larva fall into the sawdust and think they are safe. It doesn't take long for the hens to find the little wigglers in the saw dust and scratch them out and gobble them up. The sawdust will need to be replenished almost daily during heavy use. The hens will aggressively scratch in it, throwing it out of the box. Just scoop up what you can and toss it back in.

I have even used road kill for fodder for the bucket. The sawdust tends to keep the smell down, but does not eliminate it. Also be forewarned that other critters, including large black ones, will be attracted to the odor of decaying flesh. Electric fencers tend to teach them fairly quickly to keep out though.

I have done meal worms also, though they are much more labor intensive.

 

[MissE]

If you have a queasy stomach you might not want to read any further.

Insect larvae are a great feed source and can be produced for free feed as well. Growing maggots at home in warm weather is so incredibly simple that it amazes me that more poultry fanciers don't do it. I take all my meat scrap from my kitchen, fish carcass from my fishing excursions, all my poultry processing scraps, and even rodents trapped around the homestead and use them to produce, free, protein rich, food for my poultry.

Here's how I do it. I use a 5 gallon bucket with several 1/4" holes drilled in the bottom. I put a couple inches of sawdust in the bottom of the bucket. I then put the meat scrap in the bucket and cover it with saw dust. Then I put a lid with just one 1/4" hole drilled in the top. I then hang the bucket about 5 feet off the ground in my chicken run. Flies will find the decaying material and lay their eggs through the hole in the top of the bucket, the maggots will grow and attempt to find their way out the bottom. I put a box, roughly 3'x3'x1', half full of sawdust under the bucket to catch the larva as they drop out. The larva fall into the sawdust and think they are safe. It doesn't take long for the hens to find the little wigglers in the saw dust and scratch them out and gobble them up. The sawdust will need to be replenished almost daily during heavy use. The hens will aggressively scratch in it, throwing it out of the box. Just scoop up what you can and toss it back in.

I have even used road kill for fodder for the bucket. The sawdust tends to keep the smell down, but does not eliminate it. Also be forewarned that other critters, including large black ones, will be attracted to the odor of decaying flesh. Electric fencers tend to teach them fairly quickly to keep out though.

I have done meal worms also, though they are much more labor intensive.

I really like that idea. We have lots of bears, but like you said, the electric fence keeps them out. Thanks for the info! I will need to think about the proper way to introduce this idea to my husband. "Hey honey, I'm gonna hang some rotting meat above the chickens so I can grow maggots for them" just isn't going to cut it.

 

[Cameron_8]

As others have said, you’re doing pretty good for that size flock (I have roughly 75 in my flock so similar number).

Most things you can do to reduce cost WILL increase labor...not a bad thing...but just calling it out.

Some good suggestions in the thread already.

Another is compost with food waste and/or sprouted grain. I’ve partnered with a local food pantry to pick up their expired food...it all gets added to my in-run compost system - the hens eat everything they want, and the rest composts and feeds the worms. The hens also eat a lot of the worms and bugs.

Lots of work, but off-sets food intake significantly.

How did you get in contact with local grocery stores and convince them to give you the leftovers?

 

[Cameron_8]

If you have a queasy stomach you might not want to read any further.

Insect larvae are a great feed source and can be produced for free feed as well. Growing maggots at home in warm weather is so incredibly simple that it amazes me that more poultry fanciers don't do it. I take all my meat scrap from my kitchen, fish carcass from my fishing excursions, all my poultry processing scraps, and even rodents trapped around the homestead and use them to produce, free, protein rich, food for my poultry.

Here's how I do it. I use a 5 gallon bucket with several 1/4" holes drilled in the bottom. I put a couple inches of sawdust in the bottom of the bucket. I then put the meat scrap in the bucket and cover it with saw dust. Then I put a lid with just one 1/4" hole drilled in the top. I then hang the bucket about 5 feet off the ground in my chicken run. Flies will find the decaying material and lay their eggs through the hole in the top of the bucket, the maggots will grow and attempt to find their way out the bottom. I put a box, roughly 3'x3'x1', half full of sawdust under the bucket to catch the larva as they drop out. The larva fall into the sawdust and think they are safe. It doesn't take long for the hens to find the little wigglers in the saw dust and scratch them out and gobble them up. The sawdust will need to be replenished almost daily during heavy use. The hens will aggressively scratch in it, throwing it out of the box. Just scoop up what you can and toss it back in.

I have even used road kill for fodder for the bucket. The sawdust tends to keep the smell down, but does not eliminate it. Also be forewarned that other critters, including large black ones, will be attracted to the odor of decaying flesh. Electric fencers tend to teach them fairly quickly to keep out though.

I have done meal worms also, though they are much more labor intensive.

I'll have to look into doing this! What large black critters will it attract and how bad will it stink?

 

[MissE]

How did you get in contact with local grocery stores and convince them to give you the leftovers?

In the past, when we had pigs, we just asked them to save what was gonna get tossed and then made the commitment to pick it up twice a week. We supplied our own buckets, and picked up the full ones while leaving freshly washed ones behind. Anything that didn't fit in the buckets, they threw in the garbage. Probably works better in a town of 1,500 than 100,000.

 

[MissE]

I'll have to look into doing this! What large black critters will it attract and how bad will it stink?

Bears love free feeding stations.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

How did you get in contact with local grocery stores and convince them to give you the leftovers?

I’ve heard mixed things about grocery stores willingness to let you take food waste.

I work with small-to-midsize local food pantries. I just called and asked, and they were happy to let me haul away their waste instead of paying to have it hauled to the landfill.

I’d imagine small, independent places are more likely to work with you than big companies (whether a grocery store, restaurant, or food pantry).

 

[Cameron_8]

If you have a queasy stomach you might not want to read any further.

Insect larvae are a great feed source and can be produced for free feed as well. Growing maggots at home in warm weather is so incredibly simple that it amazes me that more poultry fanciers don't do it. I take all my meat scrap from my kitchen, fish carcass from my fishing excursions, all my poultry processing scraps, and even rodents trapped around the homestead and use them to produce, free, protein rich, food for my poultry.

Here's how I do it. I use a 5 gallon bucket with several 1/4" holes drilled in the bottom. I put a couple inches of sawdust in the bottom of the bucket. I then put the meat scrap in the bucket and cover it with saw dust. Then I put a lid with just one 1/4" hole drilled in the top. I then hang the bucket about 5 feet off the ground in my chicken run. Flies will find the decaying material and lay their eggs through the hole in the top of the bucket, the maggots will grow and attempt to find their way out the bottom. I put a box, roughly 3'x3'x1', half full of sawdust under the bucket to catch the larva as they drop out. The larva fall into the sawdust and think they are safe. It doesn't take long for the hens to find the little wigglers in the saw dust and scratch them out and gobble them up. The sawdust will need to be replenished almost daily during heavy use. The hens will aggressively scratch in it, throwing it out of the box. Just scoop up what you can and toss it back in.
I have even used road kill for fodder for the bucket. The sawdust tends to keep the smell down, but does not eliminate it. Also be forewarned that other critters, including large black ones, will be attracted to the odor of decaying flesh. Electric fencers tend to teach them fairly quickly to keep out though.

I have done meal worms also, though they are much more labor intensive.

Are there any things you could use in replacement of the sawdust?

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

In the past, when we had pigs, we just asked them to save what was gonna get tossed and then made the commitment to pick it up twice a week. We supplied our own buckets, and picked up the full ones while leaving freshly washed ones behind. Anything that didn't fit in the buckets, they threw in the garbage. Probably works better in a town of 1,500 than 100,000.

Awesome! You’re right that the key is being dependable...if you prove yourself, good stuff will happen and you’ll be turning lots of waste into feed!

 

[Kirkwooder]

I'll have to look into doing this! What large black critters will it attract and how bad will it stink?

Bears mostly, coon possum, skunks, all like stinky things. If the saw dust is heavy enough, it isn't too bad. like a trash can that you wish the garbage man would come for today instead of three days from now.

Are there any things you could use in replacement of the sawdust?

I suppose that dirt would work just as well. I use sawdust so that I can dump the whole thing on my compost pile when I'm done.