Topic of the Week - Feeding mealworms, bugs etc.

[EIEIO Funny Farm]

I Found this awesome frozen raw meat dog food called primal, our dogs love it, I tossed some to the chicken feeders and they devour them like vultures.

Do you thaw it out 1st then give it to them raw?

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Do you thaw it out 1st then give it to them raw?

Have not heard about this food.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Bug Catchers good morning one and all!

84 partly cloudy 82 % humidity feels like 91 with rain off and on.

Have a great day!

 

[EIEIO Funny Farm]

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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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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

 

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

When feeding extra protein do be careful with the forms of live protein that you chose to feed your chickens. Meal worms are the larva stage of the DARKLING BEETLE and both meal worms and darkling beetles are a major pest and a serious disease vector in commercial chicken houses, besides the meal worms destroy the very chicken house that they live in by boring into the walls of the chicken house in order to pupate. This behavior is more pronounced when using the deep litter method of of chicken manure control.

Don't take my poor word for this, research it and find out for yourself. Also other things like Earth worms, slugs, crickets, snails, and grasshoppers all transmit disease bacteria and intestinal worms to your flock.

Whoa, didn't know this. Probably would NOT have purchased stuff for a mealworm farm had I

 

[fowltemptress]

I raise false death's head roaches in a couple of ten gallon terrariums for my birds. They can't climb the glass walls of the terrarium, don't smell, and in my opinion are easier and cheaper to raise than any other feeder insect. Whenever their numbers get up there I dump most of the contents of the terrariums into a bag and toss the bag into the freezer for frozen treats.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Bug Catchers good morning one and all!

82 partly sunny 80 % humidity feels like 100 rain off and on.

Have a great day!

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I had a mealworm farm in a 10 gallon aquarium.

Had to take it down during some remodeling in the house.

I loved having them to feed to my Ladies.

 

[BeanNoot316]

I use a bucket with a bunch of holes drilled in it and a metal grate inside. Scrap meat goes in on the grate and maggots come out of the holes. Our chickens love em!

 

[Ladies-Eight]

I use a bucket with a bunch of holes drilled in it and a metal grate inside. Scrap meat goes in on the grate and maggots come out of the holes. Our chickens love em!

That sounds like a fantastic idea.

 

[ChicksnMore]

I keep multi-catch mouse traps under all of my chicken feeders. I set the trap down, flip a litterpan upside down over it and set the food on top. I check it daily and if there's anything in there the chickens get it. Then there's whatever turns up while gardening, old eggs, cracked eggs, occasional dried mealies. We also get gobs of June bugs every year and when we open the garage they like to come in. I'll go sweep them up and feed em to the chickens the next day.

I love the idea of putting cinder blocks in the run that you flip occasionally! I'll definitely be adding some to my runs tomorrow