Maggot farming is highly profitable and sustainable. Margot farming has become popular because of the high level of protein they produce in human and animal dietary.

Maggots evolve from flies. They are fly larvae, usually from the common housefly. When flies lay eggs, the eggs hatch into maggots before they metamorphoses into flies. Maggots are also called grubs and can grow between 4 to 12 mm in length depending on their stage of growth. Some maggot range from

an off-white color to a light brown, though some can be yellow or reddish color. Most livestock farmers like fish and poultry now purchase a large number of maggots either dry or fresh and add them to their livestock feed or feed them directly to the animals. Maggot is a major source of protein and other natural nutrients that animals need to perform their daily activities.

Maggot farming currently not too competitive like sago worm because most people are not aware that its possible to farm Maggots and make money from it, talk more about making millions. The truth is that it is possible if you do it correctly.

Maggots or larva metamorphose from flies. The fly of this larva are from black soldier fly. The Black soldier fly (BSF) is a harmless fly and does not transmit disease unlike the house fly.

The high cost of animal feed is a major challenge for farmers. Research has shown that maggot meal of black soldier fly can be an excellent replacement for fishmeal or soybeans meal which are the main ingredient in animal feed. Maggot meal can be blended with other feed ingredient and use to feed fish, poultry birds, pigs, guinea fowl and other animals.

Apart from its good taste, maggots are very nutritious and rich in proteins, a vital element in every animal feed. Proteins are important because they are a critical component in developing muscles in these animals which eventually become the meat that humans eat.

Maggot farming has become a rising aspect of farming because of its immerse benefit to livestock and crop farmers all over the world. Most livestock farmers like fish and poultry now purchase a large number of maggots either dry or fresh and add them to their livestock feed or feed them directly to the animals. Maggot is a major source of protein and other natural nutrients that animals need to perform their daily activities. There are few businesses producing maggot meal in Africa; the most popular one is Agriprotein in South Africa.

Maggot farming currently is not too competitive like sago worm because most people are not aware that its possible to farm Maggots and make money from it, talk more about making millions. The truth is that it is possible if you do it correctly.

Maggot is high and rich in Protein, Lysine, Calcium, Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Copper, Zinc, Fatty Acid, Amino Acids and iron nutrients.

Contents

1 3. Benefits of maggots.
2 9 Steps involved in starting a Maggot farming.
3 Finding a suitable location for maggot farming
4 Construction of suitable housing for maggot farming
5 Sourcing for raw materials:
6 Laying of eggs:
7 Hatching of the eggs:
8 Feeding the maggots
9 Harvesting:
10 Storage
11 Marketing:
- 11.1 Trending Topics:

3. Benefits of maggots.

Serves as feed: Maggot is an alternative to feed fish. It is use to feed various poultry animals like chicken, turkey and duck. etc. Maggot also serves as an excellent replacement for fishmeal in feed production.

2. Useful for waste management: It is a potential solution to waste management on the farm because the waste is the raw material to produce maggots.

3. For fertilization: Maggot provide fertilizer for crop production.

marek piwnicki uPmmRBCejp8 unsplash — Picture credit: Marek Piwnicki

9 Steps involved in starting a Maggot farming.

Find a suitable location
Construct a suitable housing for it for your maggot farming
Source for necessary raw materials
Understand the laying of eggs of maggot farming
Understand the hatching of egg processes of maggot farming
Have a good feeding strategy for your maggot farming business
Harvest your maggots
Have a storage plan for your maggot farming business
Develop a marketing plan for your maggot farming business.

Finding a suitable location for maggot farming

A suitable location should be selected for maggots farming. Select a location with vegetation like trees and leaves so that they can help to absorb the odor from the pen. Check for termites and other predators that can feed on your maggot and install necessary protective measures.

Construction of suitable housing for maggot farming

Construct housing to suit your space and scale of production. You can construct a small open house with a roof. The floor of the pen house should be floored with concrete. You can start by using plastic drums as substrate drum and collecting drum. construct drainage around the pen house to prevent termites, lizard and rats from accessing your pen and causing damage.

Sourcing for raw materials:

Poultry dropping is the most popular raw material for maggot production. You can get poultry dropping from poultry farmers within your location for a small fee. Introduce the dropping and fly attractant into the substrate tank after collection. Rotten fruits and food is also a good alternative to poultry dropping, and they are excellent attractions.

Laying of eggs:

Adult female flies lay up to 2500 eggs under controlled condition. They lay their eggs on the substrate (Poultry Dropping).

Hatching of the eggs:

The eggs hatch after 8 to 12 hours. The larval stage lasts about 5 days while the pupal stage for 4 to 5 days. The housefly has 6 days cycle under controlled conditions. Then, Water the substrate daily to increase production. Maggot is ready for harvest within 4-5days.

Feeding the maggots

The adult fly feeds mainly on decaying organic matter. Maggots feed for 4-5 days and then migrate to pupate in a dry place. The flies mate and lay eggs between feeding periods. 450 grams of fresh manure can feed 1500 maggots.

Harvesting:

Harvesting maggots can be done in 3 various ways, which will be discussed below:

-The self-collect method: This method is where the larva is trapped by collecting tanks when the larva is trying to escape.

-The flotation method: This is where the manure is mixed with water and the larvae and pupae float out to be collected with a sieve.

-The screening method: This is where the manure is spread in a thin layer on a sieve (3 mm) placed over a basin under sunlight: the larvae try to escape the light by passing through the screen and fall into the basin.

Storage

Harvested maggots can be stored by washing and parboiling the maggots to remove and kill pathogens. Drying them using either the sun or the oven. After drying, put them in airtight containers and store in a dry place.

Marketing:

Introducing the maggot to farmers in your location and using the power of social media to network with other farmers. Selling dried maggot meal will provide the opportunity for you to brand your product with packages and increase sales.