Chickens won't eat treats, why?

[I'm1chickencuddler]

I found the dried mealworms to be quite expensive when compared to the initial @10 buck purchase of 1000 to get a colony started. They reproduce rapidly. You give them a carrot for moisture or an apple cut in half along with wheat germ bedding a couple inches deep(I bought that at the feed store, 5lb bag for @3bucks). I was told not to feed the chickens from the colony until after 3 months to get the colony established. Then I would have an immense supply. So far they were right. This way I will have bugs for my girls throughout winter for an initial start up cost of @20 bucks.

 

[I'm1chickencuddler]

I wouldn't know what to do if my chickens didn't eat treats. They hear the gate and come running. They know The Momma(that's me....) has something delectable to munch on. I dig mealy maggotty wormy things out of all my compost piles and worm bins. I get the old produce from the grocery stores in the area. Some don't eat everything but they all eat something. I go out to my garden area and pick them whatever is still green. Grass, clover, weeds.....whatever. I give them the leftovers from the fridge that is just not gonna get eaten. They had an entire crock pot of beef stew the other day. I forgot to put it away after cooling on the counter. Then left it almost the entire next day. They LOVED the beef stew.....who knew? I scramble them some of their eggs with shredded broccoli and cauliflower leaves that is still producing in my garden. I crush up extra egg shells in the mixture and that is one of their favorite things. We make them mashed bananas and rice with yogurt and or cottage cheese. They are crazy eaters!

 

[In2Ice]

The white mites on your counter were probably caused by not freezing your substrate for 24-48 hours prior to using it to kill the eggs. There are eggs present a lot of times in grains such as wheat bran and oats which are the ones primarily used for raising mealworms.