where to put scraps?

[catlikethief]

Quote:
Whomever told you that has never seen a maggot bucket set up specifically to feed chickens free protein.

You take a bucket with a loose lid and punch holes around the top about 3 - 4 inches below the lid.

Fill the bucket with whatever you have. as it rots and the flies swarm and lay eggs - the maggots crawl up the inside of the bucket and out the holes. they drop to the ground and your chickens feast.

Chickens are omnivors. They eat meat. One source is just as good as another. Hang the maggot slop bucket as far away from the hen house out in the run as you can. Also away from your house. So you can't smell it.

It works and it is used by chicken breeders the world over.

Not much different than farming meal worms or fishing wigglers.

Sounds kinda gross but a fun science experiment to do with the kids! Maybe when the weather is a littler cooler (who am i kidding I live in Oregon) and breezier we'll do this for our girls, thanks for the idea

 

[brahma-momma]

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/71719.htm this site explains how it could effect your chickens but it is alot reading. of These fly larvae have also been associated with toxic effects in chickens. Botulism (Botulism: Introduction), also known as limberneck in chickens, has been associated with ingestion of large numbers of larvae of Lucilia caesar , Phaenicia sericata , and other species of flies. Clostridium botulinum multiplies in carrion, where it may be picked up by fly larvae breeding in that medium and then passed on to chickens that eat the maggots. Dead animals should be speedily and safely disposed of, preferably by incineration

 

[MissPrissy]

You do not have to use dead animals to draw flies for maggots.

 

[Dawn419]

Quote:
that looks and sounds good , but with several chickens , they would be killing themselves to get to the scraps or treats . LOL

I have the suet cage set-up also and have never had a problem with the flock "fighting" over the treats. I've noticed that the boys get there first and begin picking out the best morsels and feeding them to the girls...it's rather sweet/cute.

Dawn

 

[seminolewind]

I do mine close to dusk when the flies have turned in for the night, LOL

 

[greyfields]

If the chicks don't eat the scraps, they'll surely eat the flies and maggots. And the ducks too!

 

[JennsPeeps]

As for the maggot bucket, why not "seed" it with table scraps & chicken poo? The flies LOVE the poo at my house. I've never heard of such a bucket but might try it out with vegetarian scraps (no meat = less smell).

Different types of maggots eat different types of rotting material. Some eat just meat whereas others will eat rotting vegetable matter.

I just did a google search on "maggot bucket chickens" and found tons of resources. Some advocate meat & others don't. Use what's right for you.

 

[lisamcconnell]

Thanks all for your responses!

 

[chicamama]

well I don't know too much about chickens, but *maggot bucket* will now be my new name yell out when someone cuts me off driving!

JK

 

[WoodlandWoman]