Adding "Bugs" to feed

[Paul]

Anyone adding microbes or bugs to their feeding ration for fatting cattle. We have been trying it out for about 50 days now, adding it to our silage ration. I see a big improvement in their weight gain and did back off the grain some. It cost about $.03 p/h/p/d. We will be sending a load out in a couple of weeks. Hopefully they will grade better.  Paul

[jrsiajdranch]

Paul are you adding this into the ration or was this something added to your feed when chopped?  What product are you using.  Are yo fedding it to all ages of cattle or just finishers? JR

[Paul]

JR, we add it to the ration. The 650 weights, they recommended 2 grams p/h/p/d and keep them there until about 850 to 900 lbs. The 900 weights they recommend 4 grams p/h/p/d. The company is "Bio-Vet". They have other bugs for dairy cattle. I really do see a big improvement. Stuff looks like yeast. It is also supposed to improve meat marbling. We don't add anything when we chop. It's to late for us this year, but next year I believe we are going to. Paul

[jrsiajdranch]

Paul how many cattle do youfeed? Do you sell them on the rail or on the hoof?  Let us know about the marbeling OK. JR

[Paul]

JR,  we fatten around 225. Most go to 2 packers we have in Pa. Ones that look to fat we send to the sale. Will keep you posted on the marbling. This year is tough getting feeder cattle. Most of what we buy comes out of Virginia. Our local cattle brokers are buying them and sending them out to the midwest. They are getting a premium price. Paul

[Paul]

JR, , You wanted me to keep you posted on the marbling of the meat. There was a definite improvement adding the bugs to their ration. Out of 19 head we had 3 prime, 3 of the high end choice the rest were choice except for 1 which was select. The load before that we had 1 prime and we were docked $.15 for to fat, 3 select and the rest were low end choice. That load didn't get the bugs. I did cut back on the amount of grain in their ration, some were getting to fat, so it seems to pay adding the bugs, Paul

[SupremeFarms]

I was reading thru some old posts tonight.  It has been almost seven years since this thread was started, and the posters that posted on it have not been active in years.  

In internet terms this post is probably considered ancient, but I found the topic to be very interesting.  I had never heard of feeding insects to cattle before.  To my knowledge, the practice has not become mainstream; however, I am interested in learning more about it.  

I found an article about using insects as livestock feed from October of 2016.  The article provides some interesting information about the process of producing bug meal.  

http://www.thefoodrush.com/blog/five-things-know-using-insects-animal-feed/  

Has anyone else on here tried feeding their livestock insects?  If so, were your result as effective as the result Paul posted about?

My curiosity is definitely intrigued.