Maggots for food

[centrarchid]

Those I deal with are not BSF maggots. Some folks I am working with are using them as fish feeds just fine.

 

[Aceoky]

Maggot species? Are maggots in midst of the putrid mass when consumed by the chickens? The details can be important as we try to understand differences in observations.

Whatever fly lays eggs would be my guess......the maggots fall out onto the ground where the chickens eat them , the "putrid mass" stays in the dispenser where more hatch and crawl about, fall onto the ground rinse & repeat.

ETA

BTW chickens have been eating maggots (even from manure) for as long as chickens have existed, this is the first I've even heard of anyone even hinting of some "unknown danger" . Maggots have in times past been used to clean human wounds fwiw

 

[centrarchid]

Whatever fly lays eggs would be my guess......the maggots fall out onto the ground where the chickens eat them , the "putrid mass" stays in the dispenser where more hatch and crawl about, fall onto the ground rinse & repeat

Next time take a picture of the flies laying the eggs. I will do the same.

 

[Aceoky]

The dispensers hang under a large (read huge) pine tree so the lighting is too poor , also I don't hang around the stink unless I'm adding to it, seen different flies in there, since there is no way to "specify" which flies have access. Flies eat bugs, lots of bugs it is what they do.

 

[centrarchid]

The dispensers hang under a large (read huge) pine tree so the lighting is too poor , also I don't hang around the stink unless I'm adding to it, seen different flies in there, since there is no way to "specify" which flies have access. Flies eat bugs, lots of bugs it is what they do.

Stepping away from light of scrutiny I see. I will still try to do my part.

 

[rjohns39]

@centrarchid I wasn't disputing your findings, in fact I suspect OP has little risk, but since the author of this method did have an outbreak, I thought she should be aware of that and what it was attributed to. My recommendation on BSF is not based upon science, but rather a personal issue I have. I know its stupid, but I just can't bring myself to feed chicken to chickens or pork to pigs. In my science brain, I know it's just not a problem, but in my emotional brain it is. Now we also know that feeding animal protein to herbivores is inherently bad (think mad cow disease), Omnivores don't have the same issues. The toxin requires an anaerobic environment to grow, in the absence of that, it simply won't grow. BSF and compost require an aerobic environment and are therefore safer. Just my crazy thoughts...

 

[centrarchid]

Carcasses I used with fox, raccoons, opossums, grass carp, and rainbow trout. No indirect cannibal action with that approach. Chickens also used but resorted to doing that in other locations.

 

[RodNTN]

I'd rather be safe than sorry, as @oldhenlikesdogs said, it's too risky if there is a chance of botulism.

 

[Aceoky]

Botulism requires a very unique environment for the spores to grow outside in the open air isn't going to make that happen.

The toxin requires an anaerobic environment to grow, in the absence of that, it simply won't grow.

Eggzactly!!!!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Whatever fly lays eggs would be my guess......the maggots fall out onto the ground where the chickens eat them , the "putrid mass" stays in the dispenser where more hatch and crawl about, fall onto the ground rinse & repeat.

ETA

BTW chickens have been eating maggots (even from manure) for as long as chickens have existed, this is the first I've even heard of anyone even hinting of some "unknown danger" . Maggots have in times past been used to clean human wounds fwiw

Maggots in manure are fine for chickens to eat. It's maggots eating rotting flesh that can cause problems because of what those maggots are consuming. Probably not always, but enough that I wouldn't be actively pursuing it as a food source.