Dixie Chicks

[hennible]

The alfalfa toxicity thing is a case of miss information, my bad... Wish I remembered where I heard it.
http://www.living-foods.com/articles/sproutmyths.html

 

[hennible]

I edited my post above to add in a link that describes what you are talking about....

deb

Lol would have been awesome if we both posted the same link... The information is similar though

 

[Amberjem]

Yes, I would ferment the alfalfa pellet. Or maybe even just soak it now to add something green to their diet?

No, I haven't tried to grow any other grains yet either. That 40lb bag lasts my 10 chickens quite a while! I might buy a bag of BOSS next.

I just got a super small bag of BOSS to try out

 

[hennible]

Guys look at this its pretty funny
@http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/221695/in-this-random-rambling-thread-we-post-random-pictures/26400#post_14602053

Its a series of emails

 

[BriardChickens]

LOL! "Me" must have been messing with Steve

 

[hennible]

Totally!

 

[NotAFarm]

Some years ago, I got some mealworm pupae from a BYCer selling them on the BST forum. I received a small (like the small size of flavored cream cheese) container of pupae (the stage between the beetle and worm). I have three containers. They are shoe box sized plastic containers that I cut a piece of the top out of and put screen wire on two of and drilled holes in the top of one. I put about an inch of wheat bran in each box. I added the pupae to box one. I laid several small pieces of brown paper bag folded in half on top of the bran. Once the pupae developed into beetles, I left them in box one for about six weeks and then moved them to box two. During that time, I would put a very thin slice of apple, potato or carrot skins from peeling the carrot into the box whenever the previous one was dried up completely or gone. They are not composting worms, they are mealworms and like grain but the moisture from the other items is needed and they will eat small amounts of them. After another six weeks, I move any live beetles to the third box. There may be worms getting large enough in the first box by now to feed to the chickens and may start the morph to pupae. I moved the pupae to the small container they arrived in with a little wheat bran and leave the container inside the box. Once a beetle, they joined whichever box has the beetles in it. I keep the three boxes on a shelf in my utility room. They mature quicker if they have warmth and light but I'm not into making huge quantities so they get light when I'm in there doing something but I don't turn it on for them. They do not smell and can't climb the slick plastic so cannot escape the boxes. I've kept mine going for over four years. Very little work on my part...just move them....adding wheat bran or a slice of something when needed.....scooping some out to take to the chickens when I want to. I have combined the first and second boxes before moving the beetles back into the first box and then emptied the second box in the chicken coop before moving the beetles back to the second box and so on. I found all the info and seller here on BYC. There are giant threads on raising mealworms....this is what I use and it works for me.
I went and took a few pics:
Box lids...




Pupae:


Worms:


The wheat bran I am currently using. If you're doing this on a larger scale, you will want to buy large bags of wheat bran meant for horses. I don't go through enough of it quick enough to buy a large quantity.

 

[BriardChickens]

I almost have the exact same set up, except I only have 1 large container for the "mealies". The flock goes crazy when they do get some! Still in the mealworm farm expansions phase here .. Hubby just rolls his eyes...

I am not sure why

 

[chickwhispers]

The Nissan is great in snow, even though it's not a real terrain vehicle, the 4WD is good enough to not get in trouble as long as there's something resembling a road underneath you. The Peugeot can be a bit trickier in deep snow.


Our feeding is hippy dippy grain mix in one feeder, 27% protein condensed feed in another one (both are the no waste bucket feeder types), and then they usually get some sort of mash (mostly a 50-50 mix of those two feed) every day. Plus we throw some whole oats in the run for them to dig around in the straw. Not with chicks they're getting slightly more interesting food, egg, more veggies, berries etc.

That's good! I have a truck w/o 4WD and sometimes it's awful. No Nokia tires either. LOL
Hippy-dippy!

took me back to Rowan and Martins Laugh-in - If anyone remembers that!

Guys look at this its pretty funny
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...d-we-post-random-pictures/26400#post_14602053

Its a series of emails

and

funny thread!!


@Amberjem I use Purena Layena pellts in the feeders and make a warm mash with Purena Flock Raiser for them in the mornings on super cold days and as the temps start to fall in winter. Other wise if they have access to bugs I don't use so much of the Flock raiser. No need for any extra protein. I also give them some scratch in the morning and/or in the evening depending on how cold it is. If super cold in the mornng they get some If super cold in the evening they get a little more. Reccommended amount is no more than they can eat in 15 minutes. I only give them enough for them to eat in 5-10 minutes per day. I also give them some BOSS a couple x's a week also depends on how cold it is. Examples: This last week with the extreme frigid temps they got BOSS 2x's and Scratch 4x's. But no more than they could eat in 5-10 minutes. They are great motivators to get them moving some but not overfeeding it so they eat their good feed. I also toss out some dried meal worms. But since it's so high in protien That's once a week at the most.

 

[Amberjem]

Some years ago, I got some mealworm pupae from a BYCer selling them on the BST forum. I received a small (like the small size of flavored cream cheese) container of pupae (the stage between the beetle and worm). I have three containers. They are shoe box sized plastic containers that I cut a piece of the top out of and put screen wire on two of and drilled holes in the top of one. I put about an inch of wheat bran in each box. I added the pupae to box one. I laid several small pieces of brown paper bag folded in half on top of the bran. Once the pupae developed into beetles, I left them in box one for about six weeks and then moved them to box two. During that time, I would put a very thin slice of apple, potato or carrot skins from peeling the carrot into the box whenever the previous one was dried up completely or gone. They are not composting worms, they are mealworms and like grain but the moisture from the other items is needed and they will eat small amounts of them. After another six weeks, I move any live beetles to the third box. There may be worms getting large enough in the first box by now to feed to the chickens and may start the morph to pupae. I moved the pupae to the small container they arrived in with a little wheat bran and leave the container inside the box. Once a beetle, they joined whichever box has the beetles in it. I keep the three boxes on a shelf in my utility room. They mature quicker if they have warmth and light but I'm not into making huge quantities so they get light when I'm in there doing something but I don't turn it on for them. They do not smell and can't climb the slick plastic so cannot escape the boxes. I've kept mine going for over four years. Very little work on my part...just move them....adding wheat bran or a slice of something when needed.....scooping some out to take to the chickens when I want to. I have combined the first and second boxes before moving the beetles back into the first box and then emptied the second box in the chicken coop before moving the beetles back to the second box and so on. I found all the info and seller here on BYC. There are giant threads on raising mealworms....this is what I use and it works for me.
I went and took a few pics:
Box lids...




Pupae:


Worms:


The wheat bran I am currently using. If you're doing this on a larger scale, you will want to buy large bags of wheat bran meant for horses. I don't go through enough of it quick enough to buy a large quantity.

how awesome is that thank you soo very much for sharing and taking the time to do such an awesome post! It sounds like it's a very no fuss or muss set up for you..that eappeals to me greatly..is there any odor or problems you have encountered? things to look out for? what about if you are bug squimish do you have to touch them? it seems like a fairly dry clean process......any worries of them escaping somehow causing infestation can they be an infestation?