There has been a huge spike in the number of people keeping backyard chickens over the last few years due to the chickens being an excellent source of cheap, organic eggs.
Although chickens are usually thought of as being easy to care for and for the most part they are, there has also been a spike in the number of people reaching out with various questions about keeping chickens recently.
We have already answered a number of these questions but we have seen more and more people complaining about having problems with weevils in their chicken feed.
Due to this, we wanted to publish this article going over the more common reasons that you may find weevils in your chicken feed as well as how you are able to stop it.
With any luck, this article will be able to help as many of our readers who keep chickens as possible but at the end of the day, having weevils in your chicken feed is not usually as much of an issue as many people initially think.
Is It Normal To Have Bugs In Chicken Feed?
Although it is not normal to have bugs in your chicken feed when you purchase it directly from a store or supplier, it can be common for bugs to end up in your chicken feed in some locations.
Depending on the conditions in your local area such as the heat and humidity, different types of bugs may end up getting into your chicken feed depending on how you store it.
In many cases, you can easily prevent this with a couple of key steps but some people don’t care about bugs being in their chicken feed as most chickens will happily eat them anyway.
Why Do I Have Weevils in My Chicken Feed?
There are a number of different reasons that you may have weevils in your chicken feed but the most common problems are usually based around the following:-
- Poor Storage Containers!
- Chicken Feed Left Uncovered!
- Mixing New Feed With Old Feed!
- Dirty Storage Area!
There are some less common problems that may result in weevils getting into your chicken feed but the majority of our readers will usually find that they are having problems with one of the above issues in most cases.
Poor Storage Containers!
One of the most common reasons that weevils will end up in your chicken feed is due to poor storage containers.
This is especially common amongst people who purchase their chicken feed in bulk as they often use whatever storage container they have available rather than getting something specifically designed for storing chicken feed.
Although you may be able to get away with using any storage container for a while, eventually the weevils will find their way in if there are any cracks or poor seals around the lid.
The best way to store your chicken feed is in an airtight, sealed container made from either metal or hard plastic.
You should also make sure that you regularly check your storage containers for any signs of weevils and if you do find any, make sure to remove them as soon as possible.
Chicken Feed Left Uncovered!
Another common reason that weevils will end up in your chicken feed is due to the chicken feed being left uncovered.
Although you may not think that it would make much of a difference, leaving your chicken feed uncovered is one of the quickest ways to invite weevils into your chicken coop.
Weevils are attracted to the smell of chicken feed and if it is left uncovered, they will be able to smell it from a long way away.
The best way to prevent this from happening is to make sure that you always cover your chicken feed when it is not in use.
You can either do this by using a lid on your storage container or by using a cloth to cover the chicken feed.
Mixing New Feed With Old Feed!
Another common reason that weevils will end up in your chicken feed is due to mixing new feed with old feed.
Although this may not seem like a big deal, it is actually one of the quickest ways to invite weevils into your chicken feed.
This is due to older bags of chicken feed having a higher chance of having weevils in it already depending on how you have stored the chicken feed.
When you mix this with your new bag of chicken feed, you essentially increase the available food supply for the weevils and then their population can increase even faster than it otherwise would have.
Dirty Storage Area!
Another common reason that weevils will end up in your chicken feed is due to a dirty storage area.
This is especially common if you are storing your chicken feed in an area that is also used for other purposes such as a garage or shed.
If you treat your chicken feed like you would treat your own food when it comes to storage, you will usually find that the weevils and other bugs that you find in the chicken food rapidly decrease.
Will Chickens Eat Weeviles in Their Feed?
Most chickens love to eat bugs that they find in their feed and this includes weevils.
This is why so many people within the chicken keeping community just don’t care if they find weevils in their chicken feed and many people will just view it as an organic source of protein for their chickens to eat.
Weevils also contain a number of vitamins and minerals that can actually be difficult to find in other, non-bug food sources so many of the more experienced chicken keepers will just leave the weevils in their chicken feed.
Nutritional Value Of Weevils For Chickens!
Chickens can actually get a lot of nutrition from eating weevils.
Weevils are a good source of protein and also contain a number of vitamins and minerals that can be beneficial for chickens.
This includes things like iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and even selenium.
Weevils can also help chickens to keep their digestive system healthy as they contain a good amount of dietary fiber.
How to Get Rid Of Grain Weevils In Chicken Feed!
If you do choose to try and prevent weevils from being able to get into your chicken feed then there are a number of different strategies that you are able to try.
We have seen some absolutely ingenious strategies that people have came up with to keep weevils out of chicken feed but most people will usually be going with one or more of the following:-
- Use A Suitable Storage Container!
- Keep The Storage Area Clean!
- Don’t Leave Your Chicken Feed Out!
- Try To Use One Bag Of Feed!
Use A Suitable Storage Container!
One of the best ways to prevent weevils from getting into your chicken feed is by using a suitable storage container.
This doesn’t just mean using any old container but actually finding one that has been designed specifically for storing chicken feed.
There are a number of different companies that make these types of containers and they usually have some form of a lid or cover that will make it much harder for weevils to get into the chicken feed.
Thankfully, many of these suitable containers for chicken food are very budget friendly allowing you to pick one up and use it to keep weevils out of your chicken food with minimal issues no matter your budget.
Keep The Storage Area Clean!
Another good way to prevent weevils from getting into your chicken feed is by keeping the storage area clean.
This is especially important if you are storing your chicken feed in an area that is also used for other purposes.
You need to make sure that there is no food or water available for the weevils in the area where you are storing your chicken feed.
This means keeping the area clean and free of any crumbs or other food sources that the weevils could use to survive.
You should also try to keep the storage area dry as weevils are attracted to damp areas.
Don’t Leave Your Chicken Feed Out!
Another good way to prevent weevils from getting into your chicken feed is by not leaving your chicken feed out.
This might seem like an obvious one but you would be surprised at how many people leave their chicken feed out in the open.
Weevils are attracted to light and will usually only come out at night so if you leave your chicken feed out during the day then the weevils will be more likely to come out and get into the chicken feed.
Try To Use One Bag Of Feed!
For some reason, people bulk buy their chicken feed and rather than just using the feed out of one open bag, they will open multiple bags and then use the feed randomly on different days.
This just increases the chances of weevils being able to get into one of the bags as there are so many options available for the weevils to try and get into.
Even if you do bulk purchase your chicken feed, we would always recommend that you only have one bag of chicken feed open at a time if possible.
We just don’t see any reason in opening more than one bag of chicken feed at a time, it’s not like your chickens care what bag their food is coming from.
Should You Be Worried About Weevils In Your Chicken Feed?
Although you may not like the idea of weevils in your chicken feed, you really shouldn’t be too worried about it.
This is because weevils are actually quite harmless to both humans and animals.
The only real issue that weevils can cause is if they contaminate your chicken feed and make it inedible.
Other than that, weevils are actually quite good for the environment as they help to break down organic matter.
As we touched on earlier in the article, the majority of chickens will happily eat weevils without issue too so they can actually help to improve the nutritional profile of the diet of your chickens too.
Once chickens become familiar with the taste of weevils, some of them will actually run directly to any weevils they see in their feed to try and eat it before the other chickens can.
If you really don’t like weevils then you can take the various steps above to try and discourage them from being in your chicken’s feed but for the most part, there really is no need for the majority of people.
What Other Bugs May Be In My Chicken Feed?
In addition to weevils getting into your chicken feed, there are actually a number of other bugs that can commonly be found in your chicken feed too.
The more common ones include earwigs, mites, and moth larvae but there are a number of other bugs that can end up in chicken feed too.
For the most part, there is usually no need to worry about it and most healthy chickens can eat most types of bugs without issue anyway.
This means that many of the other types of bugs that you may find in your chicken feed often offer the same advantages as weevils when eaten by your chickens in terms of nutritional value.
If you do want to try and prevent these bugs from getting into your chicken feed then you can try using the tips and tricks that we shared above going over how to stop weevils getting into your chicken feed for these other bugs and in most cases, they should work well.
