Substrate 1 2 3

[Chickabee 0]

So what's the general consensus? This has put me off of giving them to my girls might get them some live ones from time to time

[The Dogmother 581]

Personally I would continue to feed them - I fail to see how there can be a difference in risk between live and dried ones, and as I don't eat my birds, nor sell their eggs, I am happy to take on any risk which 'may' be attached.

 

This is just my personal opinion though

[gavclojak 1]

Wise words from 'The dogmother' as per....I will continue to give my girls them unless it is proven bad for them.

Edited January 28, 2014 by Guest

[Bramble 0]

Well, I'm too scared to stop giving mealies to my lot - I'd be lynched!!!!!!

 

I was chatting about the general ridiculousness of this to a colleague at work yesterday - I often give him some of the girls' eggs, which he is always eager to receive and has, on occasions, bought mealies for the girls as a thank you ... he didn't seem remotely put off about them continuing to have mealies - I mean, if they stop having those then they can't have any more vine weevil grubs , slugs , snails , or other miscellaneous bugs that I find whilst gardening (not earthworms, of course, they are STRICTLY off limits - new girls always have to watch an instructional dvd on the differences so that my precious earthworms are NOT gobbled !!!!)

 

Guess I might HAVE to think differently if I sold the eggs, but as I don't I think mealies will be remaining on the menu!

[Luvachicken 477]

Oh good, I'm glad it looks like we have decided to keep feeding them to our chooks.

I did think it would take the robin quite a while to get through them all.

And my girls do make such a lovely chatter when they have been given some

[The Dogmother 581]

My post was only my personal opinion, not advice.... please make your own decisions.

[Chickabee 0]

Don't worry dogmother. I don't think anyone would hunt you down and sue you. You're far too valuable

[Chickabee 0]

BTW omlet are still selling them. I'm sure if they thought there was a problem they'd stop.

 

Just editing this, as have been on th Flyte so Fancy website. They now say they are not allowed to market their mealworms as chicken treats anymore, due to new regulations. Oh dear

[The Dogmother 581]

Quite a few sites seem to have either withdrawn them or posted a disclaimer saying that they are only for feeding to wild birds and not domestic poultry.

[Chickabee 0]

THE ANIMAL HEALTH AUTHORITY (AHVLA) HAVE ADVISED US THAT IT IS ILLEGAL TO MARKET DRIED MEALWORMS & INSECTS AS TREATS FOR CHICKENS. DUE TO THESE EC REGULATIONS, WHICH ARE STILL IN DISPUTE, WE ARE COMPELLED TO REMOVE MEALWORMS & INSECTS FROM OUR CHICKEN TREATS SECTION AND THEY WILL NOW ONLY BE AVAILABLE IN OUR DRIED MEALWORMS FOR GARDEN BIRDS SECTION

 

 

Top quality feeds from Natures Grub Company. 3.5kg (5 lit) resealable tub.

 

Per Flyte so Fancy. What a shame.

[Guest]

Of course we could scatter meal worms on the ground for the wild birds but if the chickens get to them first then that is not our fault

[sjp 0]

one thing we need to do is stop writing that we are going to feed them to our poultry along with other non tested/licenced items that may or may not get used/feed to them that way big brother or the 2 legged rat that has reported or brought this to the attention of the men from the ministry won't have a clue what's happening.

[PoachedPlease 0]

Chickadee aren't you saying its illegal to market them for chickens. Is it actually written that it is illegal to feed the egg laying chickens with mealworms?

 

Xx

[PoachedPlease 0]

I think you have to be careful on a popular website like this to start saying something is banned when it isn't.

 

The law is in DISPUTE as I understand it, so please don't start an Internet rumour. Before long people will think they can't feed mealworms to their chickens when that isn't the actual law!,

 

It's like the ridiculous list of plants that chickens aren't supposed to eat. It flies around the chicken websites getting longer and longer, when 90% of it is nonsense!

 

Xx

[Chickabee 0]

THE ANIMAL HEALTH AUTHORITY (AHVLA) HAVE ADVISED US THAT IT IS ILLEGAL TO MARKET DRIED MEALWORMS & INSECTS AS TREATS FOR CHICKENS. DUE TO THESE EC REGULATIONS, WHICH ARE STILL IN DISPUTE, WE ARE COMPELLED TO REMOVE MEALWORMS & INSECTS FROM OUR CHICKEN TREATS SECTION AND THEY WILL NOW ONLY BE AVAILABLE IN OUR DRIED MEALWORMS FOR GARDEN BIRDS SECTION

 

 

Top quality feeds from Natures Grub Company. 3.5kg (5 lit) resealable tub.

 

Per Flyte so Fancy. What a shame.

 

 

Think this is quite clear

[Chickabee 0]

I didn't say it was illegal, that's just a quote from another website. Poor chooks shouldn't be denied their favourite treat . I was merely pointing out what a shame it is. Have tried to find out more info on internet. If I'm successful will post it here . Sorry if I was misunderstood . I'm a pacifist, not an activist

[sjp 0]

this is a copy of the letter/statement that the AHVLA have been sending out and that has been posted on the notice board section on practical poultry's forum just because a law is under dispute doesn't mean it can be ignored until it's repealed or deemed illegal by the High Court or the European Court it stands and as the sections been quoted are EU regs only the EU parliament or court can rule on them and that could take years

AHVLA

Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency

 

PLACING ON THE MARKET OF TERRESTRIAL INVERTEBRATES, FOR USE AS TREATS OR FEED FOR POULTRY, UNDER THE ANIMAL BY- PRODUCTS (ABP) AND TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES (TSE)

REGULATIONS

Dried crustaceans, such as river shrimps and dried terrestrial invertebrates, such as mealworms, are usually imported into UK in accordance with Annex XIV; Chapter IV, Section 2 of Regulation (EU) No 142/2011:

"the competent authority may authorise the importation of certain materials for purposes other than feeding to farmed land animals (except for feeding to fur animals) provided there is no unacceptable risk for the transmission of diseases communicable to humans or animals".

A summary of the EU ABP & TSE legislation relating to this is as follows:

• Terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates imported in this way are not considered

to be processed animal protein (PAP), as they have not been processed in

accordance with the Animal By-Product (ABP) Regulations.

» Terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates cannot be imported as feed for poultry under provisions in the ABP Regulations, which prevent the import of certain materials, including invertebrates, for feeding to farmed livestock.

• Under Article 31 of Regulation (EC) No, 1069/2009, terrestrial and aquatic

invertebrates need to be processed to be used in feed for farmed animals.

• However, if terrestrial invertebrates are processed, in accordance with

the ABP Regulations then they do become PAP and are prevented from

being fed to poultry under TSE rules.

• Aquatic invertebrates, processed in accordance with the ABP Regulations

become fishmea! and can be used in feed for poultry under authorisation

conditions,

• All poultry, including those kept as 'pets' are considered as farmed animals

under the Animal By-Product (ABP) Regulations and the Transmissible

Spongiform Encephatopathies (TSE) Regulations.

[Chickabee 0]

Isn't TSE mad cows disease ?

[Patricia W 327]

I think that's BSE.....

[Chickabee 0]

Oh think I should change my name to chickadumb

[Chickabee 0]

BSE is the bovine form of TSE, just read it on the defra website. Do you think this is all beaurocracy gone mad, or should we take it seriously . Who knew that one small post could cause such a debate

[kentuckyfried 0]

BSE is one form of TSE- but that's not to say that cows couldn't catch another form.

 

Theoretically birds could catch a TSE from another animal, there are lots of TSEs out there, it would just have to breach the species barrier. BSE is an example where this possibly happened- cows were fed brains etc from s"Ooops, word censored!"ie infected sheep (s"Ooops, word censored!"ie is another TSE) and it crosses the species barrier and took the form of BSE/Mad cow.

 

It is from knowing this stuff that stops me feeding meat related products to my chickens, both egg and meat birds.

 

So... to summarise... a bird TSE could happen that would affect chickens, and could be carried by another host. Birds are often passive carriers/hosts anyway- there was research that showed that a moose TSE in Canada was spread by crows.

 

I don't know about many subjects, but I do know about this

[The Dogmother 581]

I understand that the problem is because it's considered to be an animal-based protein.

[Chickabee 0]

Have just had another read and I understand the problem is the way they're processed. Think that was mentioned earlier in this post. I'm going to check my rather large bucket (that I just bought) to see where they were processed.

[sjp 0]

BSE is one form of TSE- but that's not to say that cows couldn't catch another form.

 

Theoretically birds could catch a TSE from another animal, there are lots of TSEs out there, it would just have to breach the species barrier. BSE is an example where this possibly happened- cows were fed brains etc from s"Ooops, word censored!"ie infected sheep (s"Ooops, word censored!"ie is another TSE) and it crosses the species barrier and took the form of BSE/Mad cow.

 

It is from knowing this stuff that stops me feeding meat related products to my chickens, both egg and meat birds.

 

So... to summarise... a bird TSE could happen that would affect chickens, and could be carried by another host. Birds are often passive carriers/hosts anyway- there was research that showed that a moose TSE in Canada was spread by crows.

 

I don't know about many subjects, but I do know about this

 

didn't BSE become CJD in humans?