We use maggot buckets extensively on our farm to
feed protein rich pupae to the ladies. I've noticed all the benefits of the extra bug material (increased egg supply, healthier, happier hens, etc)* and it's free and easy and when done right, we haven't ever been aware of a smell.
Some notes from our experiments:
1) Use a five gallon bucket with a lid that attaches - obviously. But taking it a step further, the buckets I use also have a bungee cord that secures the lid in place. Because...you know, raccoons. And dogs.
2) Drill the holes about 1 inch in diameter - smaller holes get clogged by the litter in the bucket and the maggots can't get out. We drill them 2 inches up from the bottom, and 6 inches up from the bottom - sporadically around the bucket sides. Also two holes up near the top.
3) Hang WELL AWAY from where the hens bed down at night. At least 20 feet, if you can. If the smell attracts any varmints, we want the ladies well removed from them. We also close up the hens at night in an elevated coop for added security.
4) DON'T OVERLOAD THE BUCKETS. I can't stress this
enough. Substrate we use is
wood chips and leaves. We put the equivalent of half a mature hen size carcass or lump of meat in there. Anything bigger than that has overloaded the substrate (smelly and grody) and/or not broken down fast enough.
5) If using the full carcass of an animal, cut it open first - expose as much of the interior as possible. Just a quick cut from navel to neck does the trick.
6) We hang them off of trees about 3-4 feet off the ground. Just works better than being right next to the ground. The hens can get under the bucket and really work it out.
I came upon this idea when I noticed that the hens were working the area around our garbage cans with a particular zeal. After checking it out, I saw some food that had been put in there uncovered and the maggots were drip- dropping onto the ground. Once I got over the I'm-Gonna-Hurl initial gross-out, I developed the bucket idea from that and was so very happy when I saw that this was a "thing" because I thought maybe I was just being a weirdo.
This, in my opinion, is ever so much easier than raising meal worms. And black soldier flies don't make it through the winters here - we tried them for a while. But really, to be honest, the sound of earnest manducation from the BSF trough as they worked through the leavings of our chicken harvest was too much for me. Like, I can butcher a thing, but listening to them little buggers chew and slosh through the innards was too much for my delicate sensibilities.
* I've also noticed the disgusted looks from some people who I tell about it. I just tell them if they keep looking like that, their face is gonna stick that way. But I say it with a lot of charm.