Technique For Maggot Production 2010
Technique For Maggot Production 2010
Maggot is the larvae of the domestic fly (Musca domestica). The Songhai
Centre in Porto‐Novo has facilities for and engages in the mass production
production.
below.
i) Provides a source of nutrient for fish, quail, turkeys and guinea fowls.
decomposed.
iv) The technology for maggot production is simple and cost effective for
farmers.
serve to absorb offensive odor from the maggotry and reduces the ambient
temperature.
3) Housing
Specifications : The garble roof type of building with openings at the top
in use :
Height of building:
Wall of building:
Open sided building with very short walls to allow for optimum free flow of
air. The dwarf wall should be 0.4 meters higher than the maximum water
Floor : The floor of the building is flat concrete and plastered. The
rectangular building has a central passage (0.8m wide) in the middle with
Substrate tanks : Maggot substrate tanks are open shallow concrete tanks
where the fly larvae are cultured. Each tank is 1 meter square and 0.1
meter deep. Each side has railings of 0.12m.
Collecting tanks : These are narrow tanks 0.3m wide and 1 meter length
running parallel to the substrate tanks where escaping maggots are trapped
and harvested maggots are cleaned. At Songhai, we have 180 substrate tanks
Surrounding Canals (or gutters) : The entire building housing the maggotry
invasion of ants and other crawling predators. This canal which is 1meter
4) Maggot Culture
* Suitable substrate
* Fly attractants
brewery spent grain. The fly attractants include animal manure like pig and
poultry wastes ; animal offal from the abattoir, dead lizards, birds, rats
and other animals ‐ we also use decaying fruits like mangoes. Mango is a
good attractant.
Production Procedure :
Maggot production is an aerobic fermentation process.
animal manure and 6 shovel full of fresh brewery spent grain. Mix them
together.
* Cut the animal offal into small pieces (10cm length) and spread them
* During dry weather, water the prepared tanks, using a watering can.
* Small maggots are observed about 6 hours later ( after first contact
* Water the substrate daily. The drier the weather, the more frequent
* The maggots attain optimal size in 3 ‐ 4 days and are then ready to
production.
be turned daily, before the first harvesting. At about 6 days old, maggots
become slow and relatively insensitive and are ready to be transformed into
adult flies.
5) Harvesting of maggots
Harvesting of maggots begins on the 4 th day after 1st contact of fly with
* ii) Place fresh brewery waste and some fresh pig or chicken manure
* iii) About 30 min later, the maggots are attracted to the substrate.
Scoop the maggots with a hand spade into the collecting tank where the
remaining brewery waste is removed with a broom. Harvest the clean maggots
* iv) Wood ash is sprayed on maggots in the bucket to prevent them from
escaping.
the more number of flies and the greater the number of maggots produced.
e) Predators ‐ Rats at night ; lizards and birds in the day ; ants if not
7) Utilisation in Songhai
twice daily. (late in the morning and later afternoon). An average of 100
Kg/day of fresh maggot is used for 87 concrete ponds of about 50 m2 and 0.5
m depth each.
Poultry: Fresh maggots are used as basic component of feed for quail,
chicks. Fresh maggots are included in the ration of poultry and guinea
fowls.
yard manure, the spent substrates are incorporated into the compost
production.
8) Preservation of Maggots
Cellulose 23,2%
Minerals 9,1%
Ca 1,5%
P 1,2%
Mg 0,3%
K 1,3%
Na 4528 ppm
Mn 196,5 ppm
Fe 425,7 ppm
Cu 19,7 ppm
Zn 235,8 ppm
Problem.......... Solution
of the dwarf wall. Wind breaks are also useful around the building.
bamboo mats or dark colored plastic sheets well arranged for ventilation.
Birds.......... Line traps are used for birds outside.Trap nets are also
placed in the open walls.
harvest the maggots earlier before they could pass to the next stage.