Contaminated Bran Mash

[FLSpringChicken]

My garden is just starting. Just a few tomato, onion and chive plants that I haven't managed to kill yet. So we wouldn't need much. I don't really have a green thumb. Hoping to change that.
Thanks pdirt.

 

[pdirt]

The nice thing about mealworms compared to earthworms is they are so dry. So everything they do just seems cleaner. You could scoop up their castings (mealworm castings called 'frass') and store in a bag to use whenever without it going moldy or something. I do miss our earthworm bin though, I could toss them all sorts of veggies and it would mold in there and no seem to bother the worms. Mold can destroy a mealworm colony.

 

[FLSpringChicken]

How do you ensure the eggs don't "travel" at all (like if you were to harvest the frass)? I'm just concerned about not being careful enough and ending up with a beetle/worm problem (either outside or in my feed which will be stored near the mealworms).

I went ahead and ordered some. I should be mealworm farming within a few days. yay

 

[pdirt]

How do you ensure the eggs don't "travel" at all (like if you were to harvest the frass)? I'm just concerned about not being careful enough and ending up with a beetle/worm problem (either outside or in my feed which will be stored near the mealworms).

I went ahead and ordered some. I should be mealworm farming within a few days. yay

None of the critters...the mealworms, pupae, eggs nor beetles can escape the container they're stored in. Provided they are housed in something like glass or smooth plastic with vertical walls. You don't even need a lid unless you've also got a fly or critter problem (cats might think it looks like a good litterbox!) So no worries keeping your worm colony near your feed. And unless you have a dry pile of grain outside somewhere and you intentionally sprinkle some frass on it, that won't be a problem either. Some folks, after sifting the frass out, will store the frass in a separate container and wait a while for the eggs that didn't get sifted out to hatch and turn into large worms and then sift again. At that point your frass should be mealworm and egg free. Even if you didn't do this and used the frass in your garden, once the eggs hatched, they wouldn't last long because they need a grain source. So unless your garden is full of grain or next to a pile of dry grain, you should be good to go.

 

[FLSpringChicken]

oh ok. Thanks pdirt.

Bought some more bran mash today for the horse and the mealworms will be here Thursday. You've relieved my worries.

 

[FLSpringChicken]

Just an update. After adding a layer feed, we had 5 eggs the next day. I think we are on the right track now. YAY!

The injured roosters are well enough to attempt putting them back in. We can subdivide the coop with a few minor fixes, so we'll put head rooster and hens on one side and the 3 roosters on the other. That has worked in the past in a pinch. We'll probably be looking to get rid of 2 of the roosters and try to get the head rooster to accept one of the roosters (his brother) as a flock member.

My mealworms arrived yesterday and they are looking good. I got 3000 regular and 1000 giant. After doing some reading and contacting the company I bought them from, I'm not sure how I feel about feeding the giants to the chickens. I am still unsure HOW they get the giant mealworms to grow that big. The company said the hormone thing is a myth, but went on to say that they mealworms are forced to stay in larvae state longer to get that size and that they have the exact same hormones that any young unpupated mealworm larvae has. Forced how? I'd appreciate anybody's additional info/opinion on this.

Thanks!

 

[pdirt]

Just an update. After adding a layer feed, we had 5 eggs the next day. I think we are on the right track now. YAY!

The injured roosters are well enough to attempt putting them back in. We can subdivide the coop with a few minor fixes, so we'll put head rooster and hens on one side and the 3 roosters on the other. That has worked in the past in a pinch. We'll probably be looking to get rid of 2 of the roosters and try to get the head rooster to accept one of the roosters (his brother) as a flock member.

My mealworms arrived yesterday and they are looking good. I got 3000 regular and 1000 giant. After doing some reading and contacting the company I bought them from, I'm not sure how I feel about feeding the giants to the chickens. I am still unsure HOW they get the giant mealworms to grow that big. The company said the hormone thing is a myth, but went on to say that they mealworms are forced to stay in larvae state longer to get that size and that they have the exact same hormones that any young unpupated mealworm larvae has. Forced how? I'd appreciate anybody's additional info/opinion on this.

Thanks!

I would ask them point blank if any hormones (natural or not) are fed to the mealworms to make them stay an unpupated mealworm longer. They way I read it as to what the company is saying, "People are getting worried over nothing about feeding hormones to the worms. It's totally fine and natural to feed the hormones to them." Well, many folks like me (and it sounds like you) take issue with feeding hormones to critters, regardless of what the person selling the hormone-fed worms is telling us. Just say no to hormones...I mean we expect our pro athletes to be hormone free, why not our mealworms?!

 

[FLSpringChicken]

lolol I think that last line is the best quote ever. Yes, I agree that's kinda what I felt the company was saying. and no, I'm really not ok with feeding hormones to my critters. i eat those eggs and sometimes those chickens. Though, I don't buy much organic stuff because I can't afford it.. I can afford not to feed my chickens hormones.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

We expect our pro athletes to be hormone free. Why not our mealworms? Can I get that as a bumper sticker?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I think your hen to rooster ratio is the bigger problem. I would get rid of all but one rooster and things might calm down dramatically.

X2, a 1:10 ratio is a good starting point unless the flocks/trios/pairs are in separate pens.