Black Soldier Fly... or?

Discussion in 'Breeding, Raising, Feeding and Caring for Animals' started by Stubby, Sep 5, 2012.

  1. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2011
    Messages:
    1,456
    Likes Received:
    5
    Trophy Points:
    38
    All I can give you is my experience. They aren't interested in the manure, only the kitchen waste.
     
  2. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2009
    Messages:
    5,925
    Likes Received:
    8
    Trophy Points:
    0
    At Zaytuna Geoff has a BSF farm at the edge of the main chook run. It gets fed kitchen scraps. When there are enough larvae, they go to crawl out and fall over the side and plop into a hungry chickens mouth. I would imagine that they get more nutrition from the food after it has been turned into a maggot than they do from the scraps in the first place.
     
  3. Stubby

    Stubby Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2012
    Messages:
    96
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    I believe you :). Experience is a very valuable resource :).
     
  4. Stubby

    Stubby Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2012
    Messages:
    96
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    eco, that sounds like a great idea... with the gusto the chickens devoured the maggots I threw them this morning... hmm... so many options.
     
  5. briansworms

    briansworms Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 29, 2011
    Messages:
    1,161
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    That link is very interesting. Thank you. They are the grubs I get so I won't flick them out anymore. Well only for Chopper, my Eastern Long Neck Turtle. She will eat anything that moves.
     
  6. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2011
    Messages:
    1,456
    Likes Received:
    5
    Trophy Points:
    38
    Stubby, it's featured on the follow up Zaytuna video. I can't link it but search Zaytuna on the PRI front Page for a video.

    And not to sound preachy, shouldn't you be leaving a majority of manure in the paddock to feed the grass that it's coming from? Bazman, for example, only processes his stable manure for his worms, leaving the paddock manure where it drops.
     
  7. briansworms

    briansworms Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 29, 2011
    Messages:
    1,161
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    Picking up horse poo is not that easy and at $2 per bag on the side of the road I should have grabbed some yesterday but had no money on me. So couldn't get any or leave an extra donation in appreciation. I went past about 6 lots yesterday. I badly need some so off shovelling I go over the wekend.

    S.O.P I think Stubby would be leaving some there as there would be so much of it. Once the tub is full and any other beds are full then she would be picking it up at a slower rate. Once she has 1,000,000,000,000,000 worms then they might catch up to the horses. Then she will get more horses to keep up to the worms and then we will see Stubby's Worms for sale lol
     
  8. briansworms

    briansworms Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 29, 2011
    Messages:
    1,161
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    I have been reading the info on the link and watched the videos on the DIY BSF set up. I really like the idea but what to do with the grubs and larve? I only have one turtle now and it couldn't eat the numbers that would come out of it. Would there be a market for the grubs and larve? Hmmm Brian's Worms and Black Soldier Flys.

    Went horse poo hunting today and S.O.P there is no way Stubby would clean up all the poo in the paddocks so there would still be plenty left to nature. There is only one horse in my daughter's paddock and I took 4 feed bags and a wheelbarrow full and that was just from one small area.
     
  9. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2009
    Messages:
    5,925
    Likes Received:
    8
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Get chooks Brian. They'll sort out the excess larvae and any stray worms.
     
  10. briansworms

    briansworms Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 29, 2011
    Messages:
    1,161
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    Ha Ha Ha I would have bet money somebody would come back with that. I really think it would be great to do but we are not allowed chooks.
     
  11. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2009
    Messages:
    5,925
    Likes Received:
    8
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Quail? A set of guard geese for the disabled?
     
  12. briansworms

    briansworms Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 29, 2011
    Messages:
    1,161
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    You two just make my day. LOL
     
  13. Stubby

    Stubby Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2012
    Messages:
    96
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    You are spot on Brian, plus I need to leave some nice poos for the dung beetles ;).

    S.O.P., I've been at our place for 6 years now and never ever had a manure heap. All the manure was raked into the paddock as much as possible and any excess what given to the chickent to pick through and enriched with their poos and then back onto the paddock ;).
     
  14. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2011
    Messages:
    1,456
    Likes Received:
    5
    Trophy Points:
    38
    Yeah, sorry. I read that as you wanted to start processing most of it.
     
  15. Stubby

    Stubby Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2012
    Messages:
    96
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    That's okay... I do want to process most of it... I just want to return it to the paddock processed as the horses won't eat the grass that has been fertilised by their straight manure. They are so finnicky when it comes to pasture. Sometimes they leave the lushest of green grass in preferrence for some crappy dried brown stuff, just because the nice green grass has grown where I had racked in just a bit too much of their poo.

    :giggle:I'll fix their little red wagon and start turning the poo into compost and then they have luscious green grass and no excuse not to eat it... although I may have to battle laminitis if they eat too much of it... Why oh why did I choose horses to keep????
     
  16. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2009
    Messages:
    5,925
    Likes Received:
    8
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Horses are easier than children. You can leave them out overnight, don't need to change nappies and if you go away for a weekend without an adult around no one rings the Department and takes them away....
     
  17. Stubby

    Stubby Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2012
    Messages:
    96
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Yes... in that regard they are a lot easier.
     

Share This Page

-->