Bro tip for fellow homesteaders!
If you got a bunch of meat scraps that just aren't very good for compost and you've got chickens, use a bucket for those scraps and make maggots.
The process is simple
- Grab yourself a 5 gallon bucket, drill some holes in it among the sides and the bottom.
- Toss in your meat scraps. Butchering or making things like soup often leave us with excess that we would toss in the trash but this gives one extra use out of it that makes less waste. Unless you dump them in the bush far away from your place for the critters to share the goodness of course.
- Put some leaves or straw over top. It helps cut down on smell and keeps predators at bay while still allowing access to the scraps from flies.
- Wait 3-5 days.
- Enjoy watching your chickens go wild!
As the maggots grow and wiggle around trying to eat the rotting scraps, they'll fall out the bottom for your chickens to nibble on.
And chickens go ape for wrigglers!
Maggots are full of nutrition such as protein - up to 60%. Obviously this is too high for chickens to be a staple in their diet as they only require about 20% tops but it makes a wonderful treat for your tiny dinos and gives them something to do.
You can read more on chickens & maggots in this article Here.
As you can see in the picture they love to go digging around for any wrigglers that are hiding in the dirt.
After the flies are done and the flesh is gone - consider grabbing a pair of gloves making a bone meal with the leftover bones!