FEATURE
SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
Nutritional Advantages of Black Soldier Fly Grubs
By Christy Caplan
Grubbly Farms is recognized for prioritizing sustainability and offering high-quality nutrition for poultry, making waves in innovative agriculture. Farming black soldier fly grubs( BSFL) is central to their operation, a practice that aligns closely with sustainable principles and significantly reduces environmental impact.
Black soldier fly grubs are remarkable creatures, capable of eating twice their body weight each day. Their grubs are raised on food waste that would otherwise end up in landfills. Typically, it takes around 10 pounds of food waste to produce a pound of dried grubs. This practice not only diverts substantial amounts of food waste from landfills but also mitigates the emission of methane— a greenhouse gas 20 times more harmful than carbon dioxide.
Sean Warner, Grubbly Farms’ chief executive officer, told Chicken Whisperer Magazine that by collaborating with grub farms worldwide, Grubbly Farms has successfully diverted over 50 million pounds of pre-consumer food waste from landfills, markedly reducing its environmental footprint.
Nutritional Content of Black Soldier Fly Larvae
The nutritional content of black soldier fly larvae presents a host of benefits. While commonly used, traditional feed sources, like corn and soy, do not reflect the natural diet of mono-gastric animals such as chickens.
Over time, these feeds can lead to health issues.“ In contrast, black soldier fly grubs provide a more natural diet rich in essential micronutrients despite having a lower protein percentage than mealworms. This is particularly beneficial when raising chickens
22 Fall 2024 www. chickenwhisperermagazine. com