Maggots v Pupae - nutritional value??

[Tiaris]

Is anyone aware of the comparative nutritional value of fly pupae compared to maggots?
I'm considering adding frozen ones (either) to a softfood mix & would be interested in any info on how they compare nutritionally.
Thanks.

[Craig52]

Is anyone aware of the comparative nutritional value of fly pupae compared to maggots?
I'm considering adding frozen ones (either) to a softfood mix & would be interested in any info on how they compare nutritionally.
Thanks.

Imo the pupae would have more comparative nutrition. The only problem i found was that as soon as the pupae is killed by the freezing method and then fed out to your birds they go putrid and turn to mush very quickly as they thaw which could induce sickness in your birds. Craig

[Tiaris]

Thanks Craig. It was just a thought. I don't want slop so I'll give it a miss.
Do you know how they make "pinkies"? Europeans seem to use them as a common finch softfood ingredient.

[Craig52]

I believe pinkies are the stage just before the maggots turn to pupae.When they are well cleaned out in bran/pollard they turn a pink colour, they are then chilled not killed, to stop them going into metamorphoses of the fly so they are fed out at that stage but don't move much and probably the best time to add to your soft food as they are not dead and won't spoil.
I do this with my maggots, chill them and feed them out from a never ending supply with dry bran in the fridge. Some of the maggots go that pink colour anyway because they have been in the fridge too long and not tumbled enough when a fresh supply is added. Craig

[JustPerching]

Do you know how they make "pinkies"? Europeans seem to use them as a common finch softfood ingredient.

Pinkies are just the maggot produced from a smaller species of fly producing a smaller maggot I have used them for fishing in the UK. They are called pinkies because they are often (but not always) artificially coloured pink for fishing. UK Angling bait shops will know that you want the smaller maggots when asking them for this either as bait or live bird food.

[Tiaris]

I have heard that European breeders buy frozen pinkies & put these into softfood mixtures. I also vaguely recollect that they are steamed, then dried before freezing by commercial suppliers. Anyone know about this?

[Craig52]

I have heard that European breeders buy frozen pinkies & put these into softfood mixtures. I also vaguely recollect that they are steamed, then dried before freezing by commercial suppliers. Anyone know about this?

Tiaris those pinkies you are referring to are blowfly maggots and the member that replied is from the UK,the cultivation of these for finches is no longer used due to our cultivation of Bush Fly maggots but in saying that you can still bring bush fly maggots to the pinkie stage as i mentioned earlier. Imo you are not going to benefit any more from what you are feeding,on tap bush fly maggots and termites and any other source of livefood you are feeding plus your supplements and sprouted seed. Craig

[Tiaris]

I'm happy with my finches' diet too Craig. The idea was just to improve the softbills' softfood by adding some insects to it. I have been tossing up whether to do frozen maggots/pinkies in the softffood mix or try pupae in a home-made cake. I might go with the cake.

[Craig52]

I thought so, you can only try it and see if they take to it. Sounds good if they do. Craig