How many mealworms is too many?

[Oob Child]

How many mealworms daily is too many?

 

[AidKD]

How many birds do you have? I think if you throw out enough so that every bird gets 5 or so mealworms that should be good.

 

[Nabiki]

I wouldn't give more than one or two. I know that it's fun to give them treats because they enjoy them so much, but treats should not be more than 10% of their diet.

 

[The Moonshiner]

7

 

[Kiki]

2

 

[AidKD]

7

2

 

[eddie_van_quailen]

I give a small handful of BSFL to my 5 birds probably once or twice a week. It probably works out to maybe 4-5 worms per bird? I've never counted. So I guess if you amortized that out over the course of the whole week, at the top end, my birds are probably getting an average of 1-1.5 BSFL per day. I also throw them out into the aviary, so they have to forage for them.

 

[Birdsonghill]

I have gone years without treats and years with moderate treats and see no difference in production or health wise. The birds are happy and healthy with treats occasionally and they are at least healthy without them. Moderation is the key. I also treat them with greens in small pieces and they love that too. I don't measure or count the treats but a couple handfuls for twenty five birds to split up as they will. Certainly a small portion of their balanced dietary ration. But how they love it!

 

[Oob Child]

Mine probably gets about 5 daily, I use them to teach them tricks.

For example, my quail, Sugar, will walk up my arm and onto my shoulder if I open the cage door and put my hand out in front of her palm-up because she knows she gets treats at the end.
When I open the door on their cage another one of my quail, George, will walk to it and wait for my signal. Only after I tap on the ground in a certain rhythm will she fly to that exact spot expecting a mealworm.

The other birds aren't as tame, so I don't try teaching them tricks. I think this is the furthest you can go with quail tricks, I doubt they have the mental capacity for anything more.

 

[Oob Child]

How many birds do you have? I think if you throw out enough so that every bird gets 5 or so mealworms that should be good.

Five. I feed them by hand rather than throwing them out, and shove crickets and sesame seeds in their foraging toys.