The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[LeslieDJoyce]

Just to be perfectly clear on this...

The maggots were raised on dead bodies of raccoons or other road kill.

The BSF are raised in a compost bin of vegetable materials.

So...BSF don't compare to the bad maggot problem.

Well ... If it only takes 5 "bad" BSF larvae to poison a duck, I do believe it is important to "be careful."

 

[mlowen]

I just got an email response from Manna Pro. Their dried mealworms ARE from China. Dadgummit. My girls LOVE them. Why is cheap labor/no regulation so necessary to corporate profits? Why can't customer satisfaction & health be as important as shareholders? Oh, well. We'll have to find something else yummy & "animal" to enjoy, instead of mealworms.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: "Fly larvae (maggots) which have matured on infected bird carcasses can be highly toxic.

Definitely... so if folks do a BSF it's good practice to be sure the compost bins are vegetable matter rather than animal matter.

 

[RedRidge]

 
Just to be perfectly clear on this...

The maggots were raised on dead bodies of raccoons or other road kill.

The BSF are raised in a compost bin of vegetable materials.

So...BSF don't compare to the bad maggot problem.

Well ... If it only takes 5 "bad" BSF larvae to poison a duck, I do believe it is important to "be careful." 

Leslie, I think you missed how that are raised...
They are raised in an enclosed bin where you have 100% control of their diet while they are larvae. While they are in fly firm they do not feed... they do not have mouths. There is zero chance of a problem.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Leslie, I think you missed how that are raised...
They are raised in an enclosed bin where you have 100% control of their diet while they are larvae. While they are in fly firm they do not feed... they do not have mouths. There is zero chance of a problem.

Actually, I didn't. There is an active discussion about this issue elsewhere ... like for people using the BioPod to farm BSF. The advice elsewhere is to be careful. I think it is good advice for people here, too.

 

[lalaland]

Minnows are $3.00 a dozen here..my bait guy gives me all of the old minnows for free. I toss them in zip lock bags and freeze them.

yeah, they run $2-$4 bucks here depending on size you are getting. Delisha, that is a fabulous idea to get their old ones!!!! I'm gonna have to make friends with the closet bait guy.

Here are my sprouts after 5 days. Everything started to sprout even the flax seed.
The top pic is a close up of everything that sprouted.
The 2nd pic everything that was in the quart canning jar.
The last pic is my lid and the plastic insert for draining. I had a piece of plastic divider I cut to fit the lid than drilled holes in It. LM pic of the plastic lid she has inspired me. It drains fine but I have to take the lid off to fill with water to rinse it. I am going to try bird seed next and see how it sprouts.

I just took some out to the girls and they seem to approve

I have one jar lid screen insert, and want more so I can keep sprouts going in several jars, love the idea of the plastic with the holes in it. You just saved me some $ and a trip or trips to go get more screening. thanks!!

And funny, my sprouts are 5 days today too and I fed them to the chickens and cats this morning.
I went to sprout world online and got a huge bag of samples sizes of maybe a dozen different blends just because I want to eat some myself...

 

[lalaland]

Had to leave the flock locked in this am as windchills are back to -35 today, and it was -24 air temp. Gave them more cabbage, apples, etc to try to keep them busy.

I am ready for spring!

 

[armorfirelady]

I don't eat them myself but they sure are simple enough to do this way. I have a half gallon canning jar I might try next with them. It has homemade cleaning solution brewing in it now so I will have to wait till it's done. But if I see them cheap somewhere I will have to pick some more up. They certainly are handy

I am going to try the burlap bags ones also. Just haven't had time to figure out the sewing machine yet to make the bags. It's my grandmas and I need my mom to show me how to run it again. I'm trying to get finish all those little projects around the house first.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Maybe your mom could be convinced to make them for you

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Had to leave the flock locked in this am as windchills are back to -35 today, and it was -24 air temp. Gave them more cabbage, apples, etc to try to keep them busy.

I am ready for spring!

I lived in the Cities for a good part of my life. It is winters like you are having up there that make me very glad I moved south!

Stay warm!!