The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[ki4got]

Quote: ok next question... what is BSF?

I'm familiar with KISS... keep it simple, stupid. LOL that's why i'm trying to find something better than what 'isn't' working right now...

our local mill has a non-gmo scratch feed of oats and cracked corn, but I was thinking of using maybe their basic sweet feed mix, which I feed the horses also. it's a grain-based one with some molasses and a bit of pellet added.
I plan to offer free choice oyster shell and crushed egg shells (as available) to everyone and want something I can feed to everyone. baby, juvenile, rooster, broody or laying hens.

 

[armorfirelady]

ok next question... what is BSF?

I am not RR but I know the answer:
Black Soldier Flies

 

[ki4got]

Quote: ok obviously I've been out of the loop here... is that a treat given or how do you add something like that to a FF? or???

I know when I raised fish, I had cultures of wingless fruit flies, but I can't see raising regular flies in the house...

 

[lazy gardener]

ok obviously I've been out of the loop here... is that a treat given or how do you add something like that to a FF? or???

I know when I raised fish, I had cultures of wingless fruit flies, but I can't see raising regular flies in the house...

Do a google search on black soldier fly larvae. You don't grow them in the house. They need a warm climate. It'll be a fascinating topic for you to research. I'd be interested to know how far north people are able to keep the cultures going? I'd love to try growing them, but I'm in zone 4. I'm wondering if it would be feasible to grow them in a green house (not heated 8 x 8), let the last batch of larvae crawl into the soil, mulch it deeply and try to winter them over. ANY INPUT ?

 

[RedRidge]

BSF... Easy to raise, especially in the summer. I don't even feed mine in the summer when my chickens are free ranging. I freeze them and feed them in the winter. I currently have many gal size freezer bags full of them in preparation for winter.
I have a spreadsheet (are you surprised, I have spreadsheets for everything lol) that tells how many to feed per day for how many chickens. No. .. I don't count them, I weigh them. But I can tell you how many are in a pound. ;-)

 

[Leahs Mom]

Most people raise them outdoors in the summer. You feed the larvae to the chickens, not the fly. RR freezes hers so she can use them in the winter when the kiddos can't forrage.

Here's a fancy-pants BSF grower. They don't have to be this fancy-pants. http://gardenpool.org/beneficial-insects/black-soldier-fly-composter-automatic-chicken-feeder

All the directions for how it was made (if you want to make a fancy-pants one) are on the link above.

 

[armorfirelady]

He says they can be grown in zones 5-10 but I really cant see them here where I am in zone 5B. Our winters are normally below freezing from november thru march...............

 

[Leahs Mom]

I don't think we have them either.

 

[delisha]

All my water containers have been frozen solid for the last two morning....BRRRRR

I am so not mentally ready for winter.

 

[aoxa]

All my water containers have been frozen solid for the last two morning....BRRRRR

I am so not mentally ready for winter.

Frozen solid!? That is not right.. Mother nature hates you right now.... We have only been bellow freezing once, just a thin layer. I can't even handle the thought.