How to Feed Blue Crabs

Blue crabs are plentiful along the East Coast of the United States, and they are commonly found as far north as Nova Scotia, Canada, and down to northern Argentina in South America. When caught, they are best cooked as soon as possible for the best flavor and freshness. However, if you prefer to store them for a few days, feeding them is easy.

Things You'll Need

  • Container (tank, bucket)
  • Moist cloth
  • Fish heads
  • Live feeder fish
  • Chicken
  • Turkey
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the crab or crabs into a large, well-ventilated container. Place a moist cloth over the top of the container and put it in the shade, making sure the container temperature does not exceed 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not place crabs in water, as the oxygen level decreases over time, leading to death. Crabs are best eaten as soon as possible and only if they are still alive when prepared. Never eat an already dead crab.

    • 2

      Remove young crabs from the adults. Sometimes adult blue crabs eat juvenile crabs when food is scarce.

    • 3

      Cut up some fish heads, scraps of chicken or turkey and place the food into the crab's container. Try giving each crab one turkey neck (commonly used to feed blue crabs) per day. Feed blue crabs these items only if you are keeping them for just a few days. For longer periods, they need to eat clams, oysters or live feeder fish bought from a pet shop to avoid tank pollution, although storing blue crabs for weeks on end is not recommended.