To offer a well-balanced meal for your chickens, most chicken feeds contain protein and carbs. The very last point you have to do when you open a bag of poultry feed is black bugs in chicken feed.
There are a number of bugs that establish their homes in grain products. Because wild birds eat insects, the extra protein is unlikely to hurt your hens. There seem to be a few techniques to figure out what’s on your feed.
- With a magnifying glass, examine the millet in the chicken feed. There are a variety of creatures that enjoy grain and will attach themselves to it in order to lay eggs.
- Examine the bug’s color. Granary weevils are either black or reddish-brown in color, also known as black bugs in chicken feed. Rice weevils range in color from reddish-brown to black, including red or yellow markings.
- Keep an eye out for wings. With a wingspan of 3/4 inch, the Indian meal moth is indeed a minor grain pest. Rice weevils possess two sets of transparent wings, one of which is generally hidden beneath the body.
- Take a whiff of the grain. Mould or bacteria can cause a bad odor, which is suitable for little incubating larvae.
- Examine the kernels for any holes. Granary weevils tunnel into the dried kernels, where their larvae develop.
- Examine the bug or larvae attentively using a magnifying glass. If you have to transfer grains or feed, put on gloves.
- Store your feed in a cool, dry place
The following criteria should be included in feed storage areas:
Dry and properly ventilated –
Feed must be kept dry and very well aired. Feeding bags must not be piled immediately on the floor because moisture will enter into the bottom bags, causing the feed to mildew.
Birds (or other pets!) are not allowed direct access –
While storing sealed feed bins inside the coop is practical, other equipment that isn’t in use can soon build up next to the feed, exposing them to droppings and, worse, establishing a habitat for a feed-loving insect.
Well-lit —
It’s critical to be able to observe the state of any feed you’ve stored. Because feed may be subjected to different conditions in storage once it leaves a feed mill, it is important to be able to see the feed clearly every time you feed the flock.
Keep the feeding room/storage area clean to avoid spilled feed, dust, and other potential sources of infection.
Free of pests –
Feed attracts rats, birds, and insects. It is necessary to pick up spilled feed. If pest control is necessary, ensure that no pesticides or rodenticides infiltrate the feed and that pets cannot reach the pest control material.
If caught early enough, infected hens can recover; unfortunately, the shock, agony, and degradation induced by flystrike generally end in bird death.
As with the lawn and garden, you’ll want to avoid using chemical pest control treatments in your coop. Even if your henhouse is well-ventilated, using pesticides in such a tiny, confined space might damage your hens by transferring poisons into their systems.
Keep your hens healthy, and they’ll return you by gleefully devouring your yard’s plethora of black bugs in chicken feed—while also delighting you with their antics.
