Does anyone else raise insects for their birds?

[alaskan_crew]

How do you raise crickets and mealworms? Do you need special supplies? I have been buying crickets for $3.oo for 3 dozen. The mealworms were $6.99 for a dozen!! Expensive treats!

 

[Bubba]

Yes mice = protein. I feed my birds everything I would a dog. I use a blender, any fast food or leftovers thats more then 2 days old gets microwaved (HOT HOT, kill the germs then let COOL) and dropped in the food processor or blender. Tossed in the treat bowl it disappears instantly.

Bubba

PS I you lived in the SW desert states like Nevada or Arizona you might need to worry about Hanta virus, not sure if it affects birds thou. For those of you that do live in those states ALWAYS were a face mask or breathing device, you get Hanta from the droppings.

 

[usbr]

Quote:
You cant feasibly raise nightcrawlers anyway so you just saved some frustration. You can raise composting worms though (nightcrawlers are not composting worms hence you cant raise them). Composting worms are silly easy to raise. Just google "worms eat my garbage" for tons of info. My experience says the smallest red worms grow the most (highest rate of return in pounds) but because they are small you quickly get tired of seperating them out. With chickens though, they could scratch for them, just throw a pile of compost out.

I used to raise worms for my oscar fish, if you want more info holler.

HTH

 

[alaskan_crew]

Thanks Bubba. I actually live in Alaska so I don't have to worry about most of the pests as you guys in the lower 48. Too cold here. Crickets aren't really even indigenous to our area.
Mice freak me out so I'll probably pay the $$$ for their treats!

 

[peepsnbunnies]

I raise mealworms and crickets for my chickens. Both are easy to raise. But, if you buy crickets from the bait store as a once in a while treat for chickens (or any other pet for that matter), make sure you "gut load" them before feeding them to your pet. "Gut Loading" means feeding them things that are very nutritious for them to pass along to your pet such as oatmeal, vegetable scraps, bread, chick feed, sometimes tropical fish food flakes, apples and potatos for moisture. Crickets straight from the bait store are "empty", they are generally only given a potato once in a while. If you want to see pandemonium...dump a handful of crickets in your chicken run and watch your chickens go wild! Also, when I am trying to tame down a new chicken and teach it to trust me, I hand feed it either mealworms or crickets, it seems to help them get over the fear when they have to take the treat right from your fingers.

 

[schmism]

will they eat jap beetles?

i was swamped with them this year.... i mean THOUSANDS!

i sprayed sevin instead of trapping but next year ill put out a trap or 2 for the girls if they will eat them.....

 

[Bubba]

I caught 15 Japanese Beetles this morning and 5 MIA (Hit them, they went flying into the brush, they blend in to well blah). My chickens go nuts for them, when starting out feeding them cut them lengthwise so the birds can get to the insides and not get scared by the beetles flying or moving. Once they are used to attacking them, feed them whole. Takes me a week to get a new batch of chicks used to them. I start feeding them Japanese Beetles at 3 weeks old.


If you have the room you could grow Nightcrawlers the problem with them is that they have a single burrow. Where as most other earthworms just constantly make new holes and tunnels. Nightcrawlers use one tunnel thier whole life, they come out at night grab plants and drag it back into thier burrow. I wouldn't recommend them for feeding purposes. There are several types you could grow. Red worms or tigers are good. Plus they recycle everything your birds won't, into awesome compost!

Bubba

 

[wegotchickens]

Will chickens eat Jun Bugs? They are much bigger than Japanese beetles, but I could sure harvest a bung of Junies next time I go blackberry picking...

Yuck to the thought of cutting them in half though!

My peeps catch and eat big ol' wasps. Think they'd be scared of Junies?

 

[Bubba]

Hmm June bugs here are ALOT smaller then Japanese Beetles. Japanese Beetles are the large green shiny ones, June bugs are small copper ones. Maybe they are nicknamed something different where you are at.

Bubba

 

[wegotchickens]

Here, June bugs are green shiny bugs as big as the end of my thumb and buzz really loud when disturbed. Japanese beetles are green shiny bugs the size of the end of my pinkie that eat roses and japanese maples...

Junies are big enough that kids used to tie string around a leg and let the bugs fly around at the end of the string for fun. Back in the pre-cartoon network days