7 Best Insect-Based Chicken Feed For Eco-Friendly Farms That Mimic Nature
Explore 7 insect-based chicken feeds that mimic nature. A sustainable choice for eco-friendly farms, providing natural protein for a healthier flock.
Watch your chickens forage for more than five minutes, and you’ll see the truth: they are not vegetarians. They’re enthusiastic little omnivores, scratching and pecking for any wriggling grub or beetle they can find. Tapping into this natural instinct is one of the easiest ways to boost your flock’s health and align your homestead with more sustainable, nature-mimicking practices.
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Why Insect Protein Mimics a Natural Chicken Diet
Chickens in a wild or pasture setting spend a huge portion of their day hunting. Their diet isn’t just seeds and greens; it’s heavily supplemented with insects, worms, and other small invertebrates. This provides them with essential amino acids, fats, and minerals that are less abundant in plant-based commercial feeds.
By adding dried insects to their diet, you’re not just giving them a treat. You’re reintroducing a crucial component of their ancestral menu. This has real-world benefits, from improved feather quality and faster molting to richer, more vibrant egg yolks. It’s a simple way to fill the nutritional gaps left by a purely grain-based diet, especially for flocks without consistent access to lush pasture.
Furthermore, the choice to use insect protein has powerful ecological implications. Farming insects like Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) requires a fraction of the land, water, and resources needed for traditional protein sources like soy or fish meal. Many insect farms also raise their grubs on pre-consumer food waste, turning a potential landfill problem into a high-value protein source. For the eco-conscious farmer, it’s a clear win-win.
Grubblies: USA-Grown for Sustainable Flocks
Grubblies has become a go-to name in the insect feed space, and for good reason. Their primary selling point is that their Black Soldier Fly Larvae are grown and processed entirely in the USA. For many small farmers, knowing where your feed comes from matters, and a domestic supply chain offers transparency and reliability.
Their production model is also a key feature for anyone focused on sustainability. Grubblies raises its larvae on pre-consumer food waste, such as leftover grains from distilleries and unused produce from food distributors. This circular approach directly reduces food waste while creating a nutrient-dense product for your flock. It’s a practical application of regenerative principles that you can support with every purchase.
The product itself is a consistent, whole-dried larva that chickens find highly palatable. It’s an excellent all-around choice for supplementing protein and calcium, especially if you prioritize supporting American agriculture and innovative waste-reduction systems.
GrubTerra: High-Calcium Black Soldier Fly Larvae
While most BSFL products are good sources of calcium, GrubTerra puts this benefit front and center. They specifically market their grubs as having up to 50 times more calcium than mealworms. This isn’t just marketing fluff; it’s a critical nutritional point for anyone with laying hens.
Consistent, high-quality calcium is the key to strong, uniform eggshells. If you’re constantly battling thin or soft-shelled eggs and are already providing oyster shell, adding a high-calcium treat like GrubTerra can make a significant difference. The calcium in BSFL is readily bioavailable, meaning your hens can absorb and use it efficiently.
Think of it this way: you’re providing a supplement that serves two purposes. It delivers a protein boost for overall health and feather production while also directly supporting the demanding biological process of daily egg laying. For a busy farmer, combining these benefits into a single, tasty treat simplifies your feeding routine and directly contributes to the quality of your eggs.
FLYGRUBS: High-Protein Feed for Laying Hens
FLYGRUBS carves out its niche by emphasizing its high protein content. Often boasting a guaranteed analysis of at least 40% protein, this brand is an excellent choice for flocks with high nutritional demands, particularly during the annual molt.
Molting is incredibly stressful for a chicken’s body. They divert a massive amount of protein to regrow a full set of feathers, which can cause egg-laying to cease and leave them looking ragged. Supplementing with a high-protein feed like FLYGRUBS during this period can help them get through the process faster and return to laying more quickly.
While also a BSFL product with good calcium levels, the focus on protein makes FLYGRUBS a strategic choice. It’s perfect for supporting young, growing pullets, helping recovering birds bounce back from illness, or simply ensuring your high-production layers have the fuel they need to stay healthy and productive year-round.
Manna Pro Mealworm Munchies for a Tasty Treat
You can’t talk about insect treats without mentioning mealworms, and Manna Pro is one of the most accessible brands on the market. It’s important to understand the role of mealworms, however. They are the "candy" of the insect world—chickens absolutely love them, but they aren’t the most nutritious option.
The main tradeoff with mealworms is their poor calcium-to-phosphorus ratio. They are very low in calcium, which can be a problem for laying hens if fed in excess. Think of them less as a nutritional supplement and more as a high-value treat for training or bonding. A handful of Mealworm Munchies is perfect for teaching a stubborn hen to go into the coop at night or for taming a new flock.
Because Manna Pro is a widely available and trusted brand, their mealworms are a reliable and safe choice. Just be sure to use them strategically. They are an excellent tool in your flock management toolkit, but they should not replace the more balanced nutritional profile offered by Black Soldier Fly Larvae.
Oberly’s Larvae: A Whole, Dried Insect Choice
Oberly’s offers a straightforward, no-frills product that appeals to the practical-minded farmer. They provide whole, dried Black Soldier Fly Larvae without aggressive marketing, focusing instead on delivering a quality product at a competitive price point. This is a great option if you’ve already decided that BSFL are right for your flock and you’re looking for a reliable supplier.
Their product is known for being clean and consistent, with a good size that chickens enjoy. It provides the same core benefits as other BSFL brands—high protein and balanced calcium—making it a solid all-around choice for daily supplementation. This is the kind of product you buy when you value substance over style.
Choosing a brand like Oberly’s often comes down to finding a good value. For homesteaders managing their budgets closely, it represents a way to provide a high-quality insect protein without paying a premium for a more heavily marketed name brand. It’s a workhorse product for a working farm.
Ensectable Grubs: Supporting Small Family Farms
For many hobby farmers, who you buy from is just as important as what you buy. Ensectable Grubs leans into this ethos by highlighting its identity as a small, family-owned business. This resonates deeply with homesteaders who are, themselves, running small-scale operations and value community-focused commerce.
By choosing Ensectable, you’re often supporting a business with values that mirror your own—a commitment to sustainable practices, quality over quantity, and a direct connection to the food system. Their product is high-quality BSFL, comparable to the larger brands, but the purchase feels more personal and impactful.
This isn’t just about sentiment. Smaller operations can sometimes be more nimble and focused on quality control. While not always the case, supporting a family farm often means you’re getting a product that has been handled with an extra level of care and attention. It’s a choice that aligns your purchasing power with your agricultural philosophy.
Eaton’s BSFL: Bulk Option for Larger Homesteads
Once you’ve seen the benefits of insect protein and your flock is hooked, buying small bags can become tedious and expensive. Eaton’s is a well-regarded brand that offers Black Soldier Fly Larvae in bulk quantities, making it an economical choice for those with larger flocks or anyone planning for the long term.
Buying in 10, 20, or even 40-pound boxes dramatically lowers the cost per pound. The key consideration here is proper storage. To maintain freshness and prevent pests, you’ll need to transfer the grubs into airtight containers, like a metal trash can with a tight-fitting lid or multiple 5-gallon buckets. This is a simple but crucial step to protect your investment.
These durable, 5-gallon buckets are built to last, perfect for any job around the house or on the worksite. The comfortable grip handle makes carrying heavy loads easy, and the non-stick plastic simplifies cleanup.
Making the switch to bulk buying is a sign that you’ve integrated insect protein as a core part of your feeding strategy, not just an occasional treat. Eaton’s provides a reliable, cost-effective way to do that, freeing up more of your farm budget for other projects while ensuring your flock never runs out of their favorite supplement.
Ultimately, choosing the right insect-based feed comes down to your farm’s specific goals. Whether you’re prioritizing calcium for better eggs, protein for a healthier molt, or supporting a specific type of business, there’s an option that fits your needs. By incorporating this natural food source, you’re taking a simple but powerful step toward a healthier flock and a more resilient, eco-friendly homestead.
