Humans tend to stay away from maggots, these insects are not very welcome in many households. Flies lay eggs in food as well as rubbish and these hatch into maggots.

They may be disgusting to humans but in the animal kingdom, every plant and animal exists in the ecosystem for one reason or another, including maggots. Some animals can eat these tiny creatures for various reasons, so, do chicken eat maggots?

Chickens do eat maggots, chickens need protein in their diets and maggots offer chickens a good amount of it. If you cannot feed your chicken plant protein then you can feed them maggots instead. In fact, because maggots are such a great source of protein for chickens, poultry farmers sometimes raise their own maggots for chickens to eat

Do chickens eat maggots?

It may not sound like the most appealing meal choice, but chickens do in fact eat maggots. Chickens aren’t too picky when it comes to eating food and they are happy to have bugs as a part of their diet.

They will peck away at maggots if then find any or are given some by farmers. Maggots are a mega source of protein for chickens. There are several poultry farmers and everyday chicken owners who raise their own maggots as a power-packed protein meal option for their chickens

How do you feed maggots to chickens?

If you want to give your feathery friends a nutritious meal that they’ll love then consider raising or buying some maggots. You can raise these bugs on your own property. You simply need a sealable container, some bits of plywood, a bucket, some natural greens, and a bit of manure.

Start by creating a breeding site in the bucket for flies to hatch their eggs into. Next, create a ramp using plywood that maggots will use to crawl into the sealed container on. They need to crawl from their breeding site inside the bucket, up into the sealable container towards the warm, moist manure that you’ve left there. Wait until the container is filled with maggots.

Once the sealable container is filled move it over to your chickens and serve the maggots to your chickens. Just be mindful that too much of any good thing can be a bad thing, moderation is key when feeding chickens.

Can maggots kill chickens?

The general consensus, among poultry farmers and specialists, is that maggots do not pose an imminent threat to chickens. Maggots cannot kill chickens if eaten.

The crop of a chicken is designed in such a way that it compacts and grinds foods. Thus, maggots are literally crushed to digestible bits before entering the remaining digestive system of chickens. Therefore, the answer is no, maggots do not kill chickens if eaten.

How do I get rid of maggots in my chicken coop?

While chickens may love to eat maggots, some can escape and cause issues in your chicken coop. To be sure that there isn’t any infestation you will want to make sure to get rid of any remaining maggots in your chicken coop.

There are various sprays that do a great job at getting rid of the maggots. There are also several home remedies that have just about an equal effect. You can spray the maggots with soapy water or white vinegar, both do the job very well.

Or you can mix a chopped up cucumber into one cup of water and spray the liquid around the perimeter of the coop. The alkalinity of the cucumber does wonders at repelling and stopping the growth of maggots.

Can chickens eat flies?

Yes, chickens do and can eat flies. While chickens aren’t about to hunt down all the flies swarming about, they will chow down on any they happen to get their beaks on. A popular species of flies often fed to chickens is the less invasive soldier flies. Flies have not been reported as having a lasting negative impact on chickens.

Conclusion

In conclusion, yes chickens do eat maggots. These feathered animals love maggots, maggots are a great source of protein for chickens and farmers even grow maggots to feed their chickens because it is such a great source of protein.

Maggots do not pose a threat to chickens but rather are a great addition to their diet. You can collect maggots and feed them straight from a sealable container. If you want to get rid of maggots you can spray them with warm soapy water or vinegar.

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other chicken related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Cracked corn vs whole corn for chickens, which is best? Where do chickens live in the wild? How do farmers know if a chicken egg is fertilized? Frozen corn for chickens, beneficial or not?