Mealworm farming

[hannakat]

Is there a tread discussing raising mealworms? I've looked around but can't seem to find anything recent.

I started a mealworm farm a month ago and have so many pupae that I'm getting worried! BUT, I want to be able to freeze many, many thousands for next winter since my girls don't like snow and there's no bugs to eat in the winter anyway. Don't know when enough will be enough and in the meantime, my mealies are growing fast and furious!



UPDATES
**** BYCer's mealworm farms ..... condensed information from 3 perspectives!! *****

Gallo Del Cielo's page: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-raise-mealworms

My page: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/mealworm-fam-experiences

Amy's page: http://www.westknollfarm.com


Some basic and often asked information:

Life cycle stages... this is relative to conditions such as temperature, food source, etc:
Egg Incubation: 4-19 days (usually 4-7). Another source says 20-40 days
Larva: 10 weeks. Visible after about a week
Pupa: 6-18 (18-24?) days
Beetle and Egg Laying: 8-12 weeks (followed by death). Egg laying starts 4-19 days (average 12) after emergence

Reliable sources for buying meal worms (in no particular order):
BYC members:
crazy huhn: [email protected]
Amy: www.westknollfarm.com email is [email protected]
exoticnutrition.com
speedyworm.com
southernbaitworms.com



7/23/11 - ETA: My colonies are in full force and many have joined the 'farm'!

So much wonderful information and insight!


Trish

 

[hannakat]

Quote:
Yea...I'm totally amazed. I ordered 1000 online but I think they sent more. I put 100 in a different medium just to see how they'd do. I did hours of research before starting. They go through much more veggies/fruit than I imagined. It's all been really awesome. I'm doing a 3-drawer farm.

I also put a couple hundred in a container in the fridge....been thinking maybe I should put more in the fridge they way they are popping. Still waiting for the pupa to turn into the beetles but I have several hundred now with 10-30 new every day.

I spent $40 buying large containers of freeze-dried mealworms over the winter and so far I've spent $28 on my farm ($20 for the worms and $7 for the drawers.... and a buck for veggies/fruit) and I expect to get thousands and thousands and thousands. Yep...happy chickens!

 

[DickGJ]

Sounds about right...especially if you started about a month ago. Having pupae is a good thing since if all goes well, they should become adults soon. The adults breed, lay eggs and the cycle starts anew. I'm not farming mealworms yet, but am seriously considering it. I've been researching (Googling) the facts and recommended procedures on-line to prepare. Sounds like you're doing well with yours... If you started with nothing but mealworms (larva stage) at about the same age, then you're likely to end up with them in to pupate around the same time. All should work out in the long run...ya gotta start somewhere. If you started with 500 several weeks ago, I would have started with a second batch 2-weeks after that so I would likely have more in the larval stage while the others mostly pupated. Just my 2-cents. Nice proactive approach to prepare treats for your flock during those winter months! I tip my hat to you!

 

[malagabara]

That's pretty darn far!!

Going backwards!! Lol!!

 

[GiddyMoon]

If you look on you tube..you will find tons of videos about how to do meal worms..you buy them, dumb them in a plastic bin, shoe box, aquarium, etc with 1-3" of wheat germ bran or plain oatmeal. You put in a couple slices of potato, a few mini carrots..they love those, slices of apple, whatever, for moisture, a few sheets of newspaper and put them in a dark, warm place. Many kids on you tube make this so much more complicated than it needs to be...I think the mesh drawer idea is a great system..but I have seen kids separating them to the ninth degree and there is just no point. If one dies, leave it...the others will eat it. The skins..leave them..they will eat it..they may eat some eggs..but the beetles lay so many..it doesn't really matter. You do not have to out in new ones for "genetics" as one kid on youtube said...There is a guy on here who does it all in one 10 gallon aquarium and has had the same batch for years. Just add more grains and veggies as need be. We are in AZ..potatoes can go moldy fast so i check in on mine daily and put in a fresh slice or two. That's it..no smell....no time.

The worms are an excellent source of natural protein for the chickens..just remember..most feed now is mainly soy...chickens naturally dig around all day looking for worms and bugs...this is a very healthy thing to add to your chicken diet.

 

[Frazars Farm]

Sorry, but I just had to post this...
... It is official, I have just finished reading all 752 pages of this thread.

 

[azygous]

I just discovered a nifty, easy way to quickly gather up a couple hundred full-size meal worms at once. Most of us already lay a sheet of newspaper over the substrate for the worms to gather under and also to eat.

If you fold the newspaper in half, the full grown worms will crawl inside the fold.

And all you have to do is use the folded paper with the ever-so-cooperative meal worms as a funnel and pour them into your feed-out carton.

Slick, huh?

 

[hannakat]

Quote:
Because they free range and they have all the bugs they can find. I do use the mealworms if I need them back to the coop before they're ready. They come running when they think worms are being offered

I'm doing this because I feel bad that they don't have bugs in the winter with all the snow and freezing temps..... they LOVE bugs (even stink bugs)... and cucumbers, and kale, and lettuce, and cheese, and yogurt, and melon, and celery leaves, and pumpkin inners.......

 

[snazzyboots]

i am kind of thinking about trying to do this. not sure if i can get over my squeamishness tho....

 

[DickGJ]

I see others who have opted to raise some kind of cockroach instead of meal worms. Of the two, I have no plans on raising an insect I can't stand in or around my house -- so cockroaches are out. Even if I would get a lot of pleasure out of seeing the chickens consume the nasty critters. I figure I've chosen the lesser of two "evils." Besides mealworms aren't that bad an option when you really think about it. Now fly maggots...that would peak my gross-out meter!