In-aviary maggot / fly pupae feeding setups?

[Finchy]

Hi

I would like to provide a regular supply of fly pupae and/or maggots to my finches. Domestically there is no way - and I mean none - that I will get away with having any kind of maggot-breeding setup indoors, in the garage, or anywhere else in the suburb for that matter, other than perhaps within the aviary itself. So does anyone have a nice 'keep it simple' in-aviary setup for breeding and feeding these?

I don't need great volumes of maggots/pupae, just enough to supplement an already good varied diet, for about 30 finches.

The other option is to buy maggots and feed them using a timed fish-feeder, as per mealworm feeding. But is this viable? I imagine that the fly lifecycle will be too short to store maggots in the fridge for long enough to make this financially sensible(??) i.e. How often would I need to purchase fresh supplies/how long before they turn into actual flies, if I did it this way?

Ta

[Craig52]

Hi

I would like to provide a regular supply of fly pupae and/or maggots to my finches. Domestically there is no way - and I mean none - that I will get away with having any kind of maggot-breeding setup indoors, in the garage, or anywhere else in the suburb for that matter, other than perhaps within the aviary itself. So does anyone have a nice 'keep it simple' in-aviary setup for breeding and feeding these?

I don't need great volumes of maggots/pupae, just enough to supplement an already good varied diet, for about 30 finches.

The other option is to buy maggots and feed them using a timed fish-feeder, as per mealworm feeding. But is this viable? I imagine that the fly lifecycle will be too short to store maggots in the fridge for long enough to make this financially sensible(??) i.e. How often would I need to purchase fresh supplies/how long before they turn into actual flies, if I did it this way?

Ta

It sounds like you don't want to do the hard yards so your last comment would suit you,if you can buy bushfly maggots,go for it,you can keep them in the fridge on the highest temperature,virtually indefinately in a small amount of bran with the lid off to be fed out daily in amounts that would be comsumed in a day.
It takes a couple of days for the maggot to pupae at normal day temperatures but they would have been consumed before then.
Pupae would be the best way to go,as i believe their chilled/frozen and the developing fly is dead but the birds flick the empty cases all over the place and they stick like glue to anything close by. The only way to go is try both and see what works for you. Cheers Craig

[BOF33]

you can keep them in the fridge on the highest temperature,virtually indefinately in a small amount of bran

When you say "Highest temperature" is that coldest or hottest fridge temp setting?

[Finchy]

Thanks. Sounds like they will last refrigerated much longer than I had expected, which makes buying them more viable.

I'd prefer to breed them, but my other half would toss me and them on the street if I attempted that. Unless, as I say, I can find a way to breed them in the aviary itself. Even storing some in the garage fridge is likely to get me in serious trouble, but a girl's gotta at least try what a girl's gotta try, right?

[Craig52]

you can keep them in the fridge on the highest temperature,virtually indefinately in a small amount of bran

When you say "Highest temperature" is that coldest or hottest fridge temp setting?

I had to think very hard when i said that,it's very confusing,if set on number 1 it's the lowest number on the dial but it's the highest internal temperature of the fridge.If it's set on number 10 it's highest number on the dial but the lowest internal temperature. Craig So number 1 or 2 would be the the best setting,any higher will kill the maggots.

[SamDavis]

...other than perhaps within the aviary itself. So does anyone have a nice 'keep it simple' in-aviary setup for breeding and feeding these?

If you can get power to the aviary then I see no reason you can't have a flybox inside the aviary. It really is simple to maintain once you get it going.

The other option is to buy maggots and feed them using a timed fish-feeder, as per mealworm feeding. But is this viable?

I think they'd be too sticky to work in one of those fish-feeder thingos. In any case with 30 odd birds it's simpler to just supply more than they could ever hope to eat.

I imagine that the fly lifecycle will be too short to store maggots in the fridge for long enough to make this financially sensible(??) i.e. How often would I need to purchase fresh supplies/how long before they turn into actual flies, if I did it this way?

I did this for a few months some years ago and it works well. They'll keep for 2 weeks in the fridge so you'd need to purchase every fortnight. I have a separate bird fridge in the barn - I wouldn't even attempt to suggest keeping maggots in our kitchen fridge.

[branchez]

Each fridge is different- so what I did was using a thermometer I tweeked the dial until the fridge recorded 4 degrees celsius.
This works for me with both maggots and mealies. I buy my mealies in bulk and they will last for up to a month-once warmed up
they are as active as the day I bought them.
Jack

[BOF33]

I had to think very hard when i said that,it's very confusing,if set on number 1 it's the lowest number on the dial but it's the highest internal temperature of the fridge.If it's set on number 10 it's highest number on the dial but the lowest internal temperature. Craig So number 1 or 2 would be the the best setting,any higher will kill the maggots.

Thanks for clarifying Craig I got the gist in the end...

[natamambo]

Each fridge is different- so what I did was using a thermometer I tweeked the dial until the fridge recorded 4 degrees celsius.
This works for me with both maggots and mealies. I buy my mealies in bulk and they will last for up to a month-once warmed up
they are as active as the day I bought them.
Jack

Mealies will keep for a very long time - I've just finished the last of stock I bought in May of last year.

Maggots I find you can string out to 3 weeks as long as they are in an open container and you gently "mix" them each day for the first couple of days (they clump together for warmth and the combined moisture patch makes them go off quicker).

[Finchy]

Holy [bleep]!!! I ordered some gents yesterday; they have just arrived and they stink! I am gonna be in soooo much trouble if my other half opens the garage fridge to be greeted by that odour - any time in the next 3 weeks!!!

What can I do? Is there a way to separate the maggots from the substrate, so I can at least refresh it? Maybe I should just bag 'em up and freeze 'em - forget feeding live?

(And who said they don't smell? Someone with no olfactory function? )