Topic of the Week - Feeding mealworms, bugs etc.

[Red Mangrove]

"Predators get tossed into the bucket and maggots fall out."

Hm. That's how I need to deal with all my enemies from now on.

I would actually be fine with going into the bucket myself one day. It's a harmless method for recycling otherwise useless meat

 

[EuroChook]

I would actually be fine with going into the bucket myself one day. It's a harmless method for recycling otherwise useless meat

And so the cycle continues, whence we arose thence to return. I am sure when such a day should come, your time on earth has been fulfilling and meaningful.

 

[Luettgenchicken]

Mealworms and sunflower seeds. But they forage and occasionally I’ll help them get crickets and worms. That’s as live as I get.

 

[TropicalBabies]

What about using a dehydrator?

https://www.ruralsprout.com/about-us/

I have a friend who has a soldier fly composter. Pretty cool.
Me too in a sense that mine is a raised tumbler and the larve drop out of the cracks at the bottom and collect in the tub I have underneath for such a thing. Chooks loooooove it.
I also do mealworms though I have not been keeping up on it well, so need to take better care and work on bringing my #s up.
We have a lots of bugs in the tropics, and few predators in Hi. I free range my flock constantly because of it. Yes, less cockroaches and any other thing that has the misfortune to move infront of my chickens. Nice yummy yellow yoked eggs ♡

 

[Batter]

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Chickens are omnivorous and when given the chance, will happily devour a surprising assortment of bugs and small animals. I've seen mine eat frogs, small snakes, mice… Most of us prefer to be a bit less adventurous when meeting our flocks' craving for meat and stick to providing things like mealworms, crickets, roaches, etc. This week I would like to hear your thoughts and practices on feeding "live" treats. What do you offer your flocks, what can you feed them safely, etc?

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Pic by @aoxa​

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Hi, try raising mealworms but was unsuccessful. They died, molds. I used cornmeal and oats. Bran wheat was too expensive.

 

[1rooroo4u]

My hens totally stopped laying one winter, for a couple of weeks, when I was normally getting 42 eggs a day, everyday...

I went snagging for spoonbill one morning, freezing cold, and snagged into one that weighed 95 pounds.

When I got back to the house and got that fish cleaned, all of my chickens were standing around watching me.

While cutting out the blood line and fat, I threw some of it to my chickens and they gobbled it up faster than a worm or cricket!

I fed my birds over 20 pounds of that spoonbill, fat and meat and such, and the next day every single hen started laying again!

I later used the liver of that spoonbill for catfish bait, caught a lot of catfish off it, and fed the chickens their intestines and scrap meat...

I do this every winter, and my birds don't miss a day of laying, regardless of how cold it is!

Who woulda thunk it!

 

[Lauraadriana66]

I put some cinder blocks out in the run and every few weeks I'll turn them over and the chooks go crazy for the bugs, it's pretty funny to watch

I've also seen my dad feed them *still living) mice that have been caught in the trap. That was pretty gross, but the chickens were thrilled

ME TOOO

 

[Happy hen lover]

Hi, try raising mealworms but was unsuccessful. They died, molds. I used cornmeal and oats. Bran wheat was too expensive.

Me too ? I can get worms into beetles, but never have any baby larvae from beetle tray! Yes my farm turned moldy too. ? I'm done with that experiment

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Oh yes, besides catching grasshoppers for them - when I let them out of their run to free range they race past me and get on the back porch so they can finish the cat food that was left behind

I’m not sure if its intentionally left by my cat as a trade off for sleeping in their temporary nesting box. Had to set this up for one of my hens struggling in this horrible heatwave. So now I have a broody cat

Same, lol

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

My kiddos get out and about a bit, and they really enjoy my manure pile, when I am cleaning stalls they love to dig in the manure pile catching all sorts of bugs.

I also collect Japanese beetles (a small bucket with a couple inches of water, when you see a cluster of the beetles shake them into the bucket, the water prevents them from flying away), when I have gone through all my fruit trees and roses and collected what beetles no can, I dump the bucket out on the barns brick floor and watch the chickens go wild!

It’s a free for all, 3 weeks olds up to 7 yrs old all fighting for those beetles

I have seen mine eat small snakes and small frogs. Large snakes they don’t attack, but they will harass.
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This would make an awesome meal I would think!

Great pic!