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Chickens and mealworms #788023

Asked April 25, 2022, 5:19 PM EDT

We have fed our hens mealworms bought from our local Wilco. Upon some research I have found that certain places such as Europe have actually banned mealworms r be fed because of the fear of prion disease that could get passed from mealworm to chicken to human . I was hoping to get some more information on this and how much of a concern this is. Thank you Sent from my iPhone

Linn County Oregon

Expert Response

Thank you for your question, in the EU it is illegal to feed "insect derived proteins" so this encompasses more that just mealworms - but certainly includes them. In the US there is no law against or current concern in regards to your question. I would encourage you to know the source of your mealworms as there are local producers. 
Chrissy Lucas-Woodruff Replied May 12, 2022, 12:49 PM EDT

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