# Raising Insects as Feed



## SimpleMan

I was thinking about raising some insects to feed my livestock for extra protein. Which ones are highest in protein? Which insects do farm animals mostly like to eat? I don't have much knowledge on feeding bugs to animals so any information would be great!


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## dunappy

What animals are you wanting to feed? Poultry or things like cows and goats etc?


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## TechAdmin

Like dun said it really depends on what animals you want to feed. I would assume poultry?


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## The_Blob

I know chickens are pretty non-particular in the kinds of insects they will eat, but you're probably better off just letting them scratch for bugs instead of taking the time to raise them just for feed... unless of course you have a very large operation already & in that case you probably aren't free-range farming those chickens anyways...


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## Canadian

Get some silkworms. Make silk and use the worms as feed.


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## Magus

Mealworms,if the livestock all get killed/die/eaten.....they can be eaten as well.very high protien and you can feed thousands for a month on one sack of corn meal.


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## Merlin

*bugs are meat*



SimpleMan said:


> I was thinking about raising some insects to feed my livestock for extra protein. Which ones are highest in protein? Which insects do farm animals mostly like to eat? I don't have much knowledge on feeding bugs to animals so any information would be great!


Hi I have thought vegetarians like cows and the rest do not eat meat no insects then.. but foul like chickens do they love earwigs and sow bugs and the like..


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## Magus

.........and each other.LOL


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## StillStanding

This thread doesn't make sense. There are better ways to feed livestock. If you have a protein problem, feed alfalfa or soybean meal.


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## The_Blob

maybe he's raising the wag-yu variety of chickens & wants to give them beer & massages as well...


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## mona

I raise worms for the garden, fishing and to help suppliment the feed for our chickens and turkeys.

So, you might want to think about getting a worm bed started.


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## Expeditioner

I have thought about that. There was documentary on tv where worms are used to process human waste into a viable fertilizer. If I remember correctly the e coli count in the processed waste was low or none existent.

Not sure I would go to that extreme but using for fish food, bait , and garden enhancement is a very good idea.


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## The_Blob

There is a group called the New York Gastronauts that advocates eating insects to 'help the environment'  , I know some facts like eating bugs is done historically all over the world & they ARE high in protein & use a LOT less water that raising the same amount of beef (it takes something like 400 gallons of water (or more) for every pound of beef on a 1000 lb steer (that's 400,000 gallons), I think that's equal to an Olympic-sized swimming pool!).

Eating Bugs!! has some info

I've eaten bugs, it's really no big deal. Roasted grasshoppers are pretty easy, just twist the heads off & pull out the guts still attached so that you don't get parasitical worms, stick on a spit, & roast over a fire until cooked through


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## SurvivalNut

*for food?*

I at first thought this was a crackpot thread (sorry) so I bypassed it so often. Then it got me to thinking, and I like this site to challenge me.

This evening I had a craftsman in the house finishing an installation. He mentioned he has advised before for the Discovery Channel on Survival and Primitive Education. He also mentioned he has been collecting local native Oak species for Acorn Production. He extolled the native historical use of the nut.

That got me to thinking (again).

Acorns are usuable as a flour in lieu of or to extend wheat flour.

Acorns can be pressed for oil (cooking and lamp oil)

Acorn "meat" can be usd for animal feed (pigs and chickens)

The article on this link explains it.

I am sold! will start looking for some seedlings this spring.

http://www.ecocomposite.org/native/UseOfAcornsForFoodInCalifornia.doc

No bugs, just nuts!


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## palooka slim

Magus said:


> .........and each other.LOL


ha yeah is there anything a chicken wont eat?


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