# Maggot Buckets "free Protien"



## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

As it was brought up in another thread i decided to add it here 

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Feeding-Chickens-Maggots.html

eventually you suspend a bucket with holes drilled into it add a carcass of say a beaver armadillo or meaty carcasses of processed chickens, Than place a lid on top allow natural flys to lay eggs and the maggots to drop from the bucket, this has been proven to reduce overall fly populations as your chickens and ducks will more than happily gobble them up

the article goes into explaining odor possible diseases and warns of possible Clostridium botulinum or botulism 

i say lets put it up for debate is it safe or not is it alright to do occasionally or never and etc this goes along with the feeding of our poultry with the zap lights.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

I'm assuming this is only something you'd bother doing for confined chickens, not free range ones?

I'm not putting up with the smell from a bucket of hanging roadkill in order to give my chickens something they can find for themselves. Blech.


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

I tried this once.

Set up two buckets and placed them in a secure run for the chickens. Sure enough the "stuff"(a fox caught trying to get in the coop) rotted and maggots fell through the holes in the bottom of the bucket. The buckets really didn't even stink REALLY bad(considering what was going on in them). The problem came from the "sludge". The chickens would anticipate the random falling treat that they stayed under the buckets CONSTANTLY. Well, maggots aren't the only thing that fall and good bit of green/black sludgy slime falls too. I had a flock of green/black oily stinky chickens. After those two buckets were finished, we discontinued the maggot buckets.

I could stand the occasionally whiff of something "off" coming from the buckets. But I couldn't deal with the green, greasy, death-smelling chickens.. (the slime smells worse than the buckets!)

As far as safe, none of my poultry died or became noticeably ill during the time we had maggot buckets. I would not advise doing it unless you have a secure coop/run in which to keep it and the chickens. The smell, no matter how diffused would still attract scavengers that may decide the chickens would be the better dinner option.


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Ernie said:


> I'm assuming this is only something you'd bother doing for confined chickens, not free range ones?
> 
> I'm not putting up with the smell from a bucket of hanging roadkill in order to give my chickens something they can find for themselves. Blech.


I was thinking the same thing, I can`t stand the smell of dead animals. > Marc


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

i would probily only do this if they free ranged i wouldnt want the bucket near the coop or areas i frequent but if the bucket was say at the end of the field then i might implement this 

ive heard somthing about limberneck what is this? maggots eating there way out?


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

I wouldn't do it at ALL if you free range. Who knows what predators the smell of a rotting carcass might attract? And remember the #1 rule of chickens: EVERYTHING loves to eat chicken.

Limberneck is botulism bacteria paralyzing the necks of chickens, according to my vet book. I've never seen it nor heard of it happening to anyone I know. According to the book I've got, farmers used to believe the chickens got it from eating infected maggots but studies later proved it was the meat the maggots were consuming that was the disease-causing agents. 

Some of the folks I know feed their chickens roadkill. I don't, but mostly because I don't want to handle roadkill or drag it back home with me. My wife would use the sacred skillet of justice on me if I suggested we feed our children eggs that came from hens that had been fed roadkill. 

Dead fish or fish offal on the other hand would be a great way to get some protein into those birds.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

Check out Black Soldier Fly larvae. They will live on damp manure and will cut back on the numbers of other flies you have on the farm. Chickens love them.


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## postroad (Jan 19, 2009)

I mixed fish offal with straw. I thought the chickens would turn the pile looking for treats.

They did! they turned an returned that pile until nothing was left but some nice compost.


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

hang a fresh caught cat fish up in the pen, the chickens will pick the meat off the bones and any maggots that fall off as well, no bucket so no sludge, just meat and bugs, you may need to make cuts in the fish skin first if its tough so the birds can get at the good bits, or you can hang a hunk of beef liver, but fish caught from a local stream or pond are basically free,


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## Guest (May 6, 2011)

Instead of using a rotting animal to generate maggots just feed the animal itself to your birds. Those maggots are not creating protein out of nothing. They're getting from the animal carcass and it's a very inefficient process at that. You'd be better off simply feeding the fresh meat.

I find the whole idea disgusting for the reasons that wolffeathers outlines.


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## bee (May 12, 2002)

Ummmm...ok? You are gonna breed flies in buckets to reduce fly populations?? Yes, I know the chickens are supposed to eat the falling maggots..but how you gonna be sure ALL the maggots are going out the holes and not pupating under the "remains"??

I am more likely to raise mealworms than maggots(at least on purpose.)


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

Mealworms are an excellent alternative. I have raised them before and can say I truly enjoyed them.

You get a nice deep plastic tub. I use those rectangle storage bins that sell at Walmart or other stores for about $5. Get some nonmedicated chicken feed crumbles, put about a 4 inch layer in the bottom of the bucket and then get cut a potato into thirds and throw those on top of the chicken crumbles. Add your mealworms and you now have a production mealworm farm, that remains dry and stink free. 

The beetles can't fly and the rubber sides prevent escapes. I kept the tub out in the shed where it stayed warm and always had more mealworms than I knew what to do with. The chicken crumbles are used as bedding and food. The potatoes are all the water source they need. You just replace the bedding and potatoes periodically as needed. The tub doesn't need to be covered as the insects can't escape(I know, I kept it in my room for a couple of weeks without a lid), but a screen is advised to keep other 'predators' out of your 'livestock'. 


Red worms are an excellent option too and make protein from veggie scraps from the kitchen. Use the same rectangle storage tub, except this time, drill drainage and ventilation holes in it. Put an 8 inch layer of peat moss and veggie scraps/rabbit poo in there. Wet it down real well and then add your red worms. You can feed the worms your scraps, and feed you chickens your extra worms. Or you can use the worms for fishing and feed the chickens your fishing scraps. It all works out in the end.


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

wolffeathers said:


> Mealworms are an excellent alternative. I have raised them before and can say I truly enjoyed them.
> 
> You get a nice deep plastic tub. I use those rectangle storage bins that sell at Walmart or other stores for about $5. Get some nonmedicated chicken feed crumbles, put about a 4 inch layer in the bottom of the bucket and then get cut a potato into thirds and throw those on top of the chicken crumbles. Add your mealworms and you now have a production mealworm farm, that remains dry and stink free.
> 
> ...


GREAT POST! however i have a qquestion how big are these drainage and ventalation holes won they squirm on out the holes?


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

The holes need to be around 1/16-1/4. 

The key is keeping the redworms happy and they won't want to move. They'll stay where the food is. I keep my worm bin in my barn on a dirt floor with an overhead light that stays on(not where it can heat or dry the bin). I'm sure I lose the odd worm or two when they venture out. Worms are photophobic, so if you put them in an area where there is light outside the bin, that will deter them as well. If the worms run out of food or moisture, they'll seek it elsewhere. Other than that they are pretty low maintenance. I let them do their thing, throw the odd scraps in there(avoid anything meat or overly acidic, like urine or citris), and wet it when it looks on the dry side.

The mealworms are insanely easy, even easier than the redworms. Because you don't have to worry about moisture, other than providing potatoes.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

If you are buying chicken feed to grow meal worms on, why not just feed the chicken feed directly to the chickens. I fail to see how you've saved anything, just added more complication.


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

Cyngbaeld said:


> If you are buying chicken feed to grow meal worms on, why not just feed the chicken feed directly to the chickens. I fail to see how you've saved anything, just added more complication.


The mealworms just make great treats and are incredibly high in protein. Yes, you can use chicken crumbles 16-18% for bedding, you can also use wheat bran, oat bran, rolled oats, cornmeal and others. I already had chicken feed laying around, so that's what I used. The mealworms take that 16-18% crumble and convert it into 48% protein and 40% crude fat, all in a squirming package that the chickens just cannot resist. (the pupae and beetles are slightly higher in protein, but the 'worms' are the larvae and the normal stage you would feed to birds and other animals)

I didn't think anyone was thinking of using any of these(maggots, mealworms, or redworms) for the sole source of their chicken feed. I thought we were simply discussing cheap ways to make 'supplemental' protein.

They also make great attractant for wild bluebirds! Here's an excellent webpage, but don't let the abundance of information overwhelm you, they are very simple and easy to raise. I would neglect my mealworms for weeks at a time.

http://www.sialis.org/raisingmealworms.htm


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

I think most people are trying to find ways to cut their feed bill. I know I am.


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## Ryan NC (Jan 29, 2009)

works better for pond feeding fish, if you like eating bluegill this is a sure fire way to concentrate the bigger ones. (does create an oil slick type effect tho) I concur with feeding the chickens the raw meat, they are good at it if not de-beaked. As someone else said it's not the maggots, it's the drippy stuff that is a problem!


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

"I didn't think anyone was thinking of using any of these(maggots, mealworms, or redworms) for the sole source of their chicken feed. I thought we were simply discussing cheap ways to make 'supplemental' protein."

i think that is the point of this post but at the same time the mealies and worms are reproducing on your table scraps that perhaps the chickens dont want and thus adding to the overall productivity of the homestead. 

but overall i would say the mealies and worms would be a a treat not a staple

RYANNC have you ever thought about gorwing catfish or bluegill/sunnies in a barrel? and yes i agree the drippy stuff would be the biggest issue of which i was initially unaware of "EWW"


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