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Farming Crickets for Food and Feed

 
pollinator
Posts: 683
Location: Ohio River Valley, Zone 6b
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So, I have recently been studying on eating bugs. And I found that crickets are a super food for humans. I have also discovered that they are easier to farm for supplimenting animal feed than black soldier flies.

Crickets are 60% protein by volume, contain all 9 essential amino acids, contain omega 6 & 3, have more vitamin B 12 than salmon, are low fat, high in iron and calcium, and are high in fiber. When toasted in the oven and ground into a fine powder, it can be used in cooking without the ick factor of seeing whole insects. Recommended uses include as protein powder in shakes, baked into breads and desserts, used in bran muffins, used as garnish in tacos and thai food, and used as a condiment mixed with spices.

What with their prolific breeding and high volume of protein, they also make ample feed for livestock. Their ground form can be used to suppliment grain rations and the animals will be none the wiser because of the neutral flavor. Whole live crickets can also be fed to chickens and ducks. Crickets also produce castings and eat vegetable scraps, so these can suppliment the garden.

To farm crickets intensively, one only needs some plastic tubs, dishes of soil, food scraps, and a water dish with a bit of paper towel in it. You can expect 5,000 crickets every 2 weeks with a starting breeding population of 200. A quick serch on youtube brought up hundreds of videos on breeding, caring for, and production of crickets as food for both humans and animals.
 
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I get a lot of fresh fruit and veg scrap for the chook, but they dont want much of it.
They will eat some, then wander off to scratch , for bugs presumably.
So, I have been thinking of  raising bugs.
Most of the reports on crickets say they are stinky.
Black soldier flies are said not to be, but I've gad them, and they smell horrible.
Meal worms are picky about conditions.
Dubia roaches have ick factor. The wife would kill me dead. Or so she syas.
Only worms pass my all criteria.
I'm looking for a derelict freezer or fridge.

I might try crickets, since they will be outside, they reproduce like crazy, and they could self harvest.
 
Ruth Jerome
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William Bronson wrote: I get a lot of fresh fruit and veg scrap for the chook, but they dont want much of it.
They will eat some, then wander off to scratch , for bugs presumably.
So, I have been thinking of  raising bugs.
Most of the reports on crickets say they are stinky.
Black soldier flies are said not to be, but I've gad them, and they smell horrible.
Meal worms are picky about conditions.
Dubia roaches have ick factor. The wife would kill me dead. Or so she syas.
Only worms pass my all criteria.
I'm looking for a derelict freezer or fridge.

I might try crickets, since they will be outside, they reproduce like crazy, and they could self harvest.



Supposedly the crickets won't stink if they have good ventilation and you keep their food from getting moldy. I have smelled crickets at the pet store before and while the odor was distinct, it was not bad. I suppose it works out like any livestock. If you don't keep their space clean and ventilated they will stink. But if you do those things they won't.
 
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