On This Episode of The Modern Homesteading Podcast, Harold and Rachel Discuss Several Insects That Can Be Farmed To Feed Your Small Livestock And Cut Feed Costs.
The Modern Homesteading Podcast, Episode 181 – January 9, 2023
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What We Are Not Talking About
- Un-natural Diets For Livestock
- Insects For Human Consumption
Livestock That Can Eat Insects
- Chickens
- Turkeys
- Quail
- Ducks
- Pheasant
- Fish
- Pigs?- a study… https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8831829/
Insects That Can Be Farmed and Used For Livestock Feed
Mealworms
- A 5lb bag of dried mealworms is about $30 at this time, so raising your own can be well worth it.
- Larvae of the Darkling Beetle
- High in protein
- Great blog post on How To Make Your Own Mealworm Farm
- Video on How To Start A Mealworm Farm
- Where to purchase beetles to get started? I found sellers on Etsy and Amazon
Black Soldier Fly Larvae
- Also high in protein
- In-depth blog post on How To Farm Black Soldier Fly Larvae
- If you have trouble naturally bringing in black soldier flies, you can get started by purchasing Black Soldier Fly Larvae
Crickets
- Video on How To Breed & Raise Crickets
- Purchasing crickets to get started – order by size like ⅝” to start laying eggs quickly or ¼ “ to get more at a lower price that will grow quickly.
- Purchase breeding crickets at The Critter Depot or find sellers on Amazon
Grasshoppers and Locusts
Earth Worms
- The nutrition profile of earthworms – https://eorganic.org/node/8103
- Video on Raising Canadian Nightcrawlers At Home
Silk Worms
- Great nutrition profile – Nutritional, functional, and allergenic properties of silkworm pupae Mulberry trees!!!
- Video on How To Farm Silk Worms At Home
Cockroaches … Nope!
- But if you’re interested in farming cockroaches for animal feed, here’s a video link.
Income Opportunities
There is huge opportunity in raising any of these for income in a few ways.
- Sell the insects as feed for people who don’t want to deal with it
- Customer base in pet owners of reptiles, rodents, fish as well as homesteaders.
- Sell breeding stock for others to get started farming their own insects for feed.
- Baitshop
Nicholas Ferguson bugs video:
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Author, blogger, podcaster, homesteading and permaculture enthusiast. I have a passion for sharing what I learn and helping others on their journey. If you're looking for me, you'll usually find me in the garden.
Latest posts by Harold Thornbro (see all)
An aspiring permaculturist and urban homesteader who loves to teach and inspire others to grow where they are planted.
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