Eastern Tennessee Thread

[TNBEARCHICK]

Also looking for a Buff Brahma Banty hen to breed with my show quality rooster.

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

Grawg or anyone

Did you say that you raise meal worms?
I would like to talk to someone who actually does them.
I tried to read on the forums but they are so off subject that I seem to get lost.

I was talking to someone that was selling them on the everything else forum last year and she was very knowlegeable and I was going to buy some starters from her but, I just decided it was too much to take on at the time. She gave me a load of information on everything about them. She is westknollamy if you want to contact her.

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

Ahh.. also have a web address that give you info from her.. www.WestKnollFarms.com/meal-worms.html

 

[Talbott Poultry]

Quote:

Ahh.. also have a web address that give you info from her.. www.WestKnollFarms.com/meal-worms.html

Thank You very much.

 

[grawg]

Grawg or anyone

Did you say that you raise meal worms?
I would like to talk to someone who actually does them.
I tried to read on the forums but they are so off subject that I seem to get lost.

Material list:
Sterilite drawer
Old fasioned oats( no need for quaker unless you're just funny that way)
Rice
Chicken feed
Half a cardboard egg carton
veggie scraps
24 - 500 mealworms

Step 1. Mix oats, a little rice (1/2 cup), and feed together and fill sterilite drawer about 1 to 2 inches deep.
Step 2. Place egg carton on top of feed mixture
Step 3. Dump mealworms in
Step 4. Place veggie scraps on egg carton

Maintenance: Remove old veggie scraps. Wetter veggie will mold quicker. I like to use carrots and potatoes. Keep bin warm and dry. Warmer conditions quicken mealworms lifecycle = more mealworms, I'm not sure what max temperature is, mine seem to do fine at room temp. Top off with additional feed. Eventually compost\toss the old bedding.


It's really pretty simple. If you were closer I'd start you off with a few dozen beetles... and I would think you have most of those materials lying around.

 

[tnchickenut]

If you decide on a mastiff I know a man who raises them. I think he has German line? Anyway...he is a great breeder and you can be assured his breeding is impeccable.

Hello new best friend. lol

I'm going to wait for all this dust to settle, but I will be very interested when it does. Does he have a website where I can drool over pics in the meantime?

 

[tnchickenut]

Grawg or anyone

Did you say that you raise meal worms?
I would like to talk to someone who actually does them.
I tried to read on the forums but they are so off subject that I seem to get lost.

I have been raising mealworms... and I think grawg is the only other one here that does. Super easy.

 

[tnchickenut]

That reminds me

Stacy..

Have you considered a Komondor? There is a club on this side of the country somewhere....I just cant remember where I read it was..Mid-Atlantic or something like that.

I have scanned over them... they just aren't my style. All that hair. LOL. Same reason I lean away from the Tibetan Mastiff.

To make my search even harder, it is best to get dogs that were already born and raised with the critters you have. Most mastiffs are bred as pets.

And yes, the point about prey drive REALLY matters. You don't want a dog who chases. And you never want to play ball or fetch with a LGD. It only encourages the chase behavior.

 

[tnchickenut]

Material list:
Sterilite drawer
Old fasioned oats( no need for quaker unless you're just funny that way)
Rice
Chicken feed
Half a cardboard egg carton
veggie scraps
24 - 500 mealworms

Step 1. Mix oats, a little rice (1/2 cup), and feed together and fill sterilite drawer about 1 to 2 inches deep.
Step 2. Place egg carton on top of feed mixture
Step 3. Dump mealworms in
Step 4. Place veggie scraps on egg carton

Maintenance: Remove old veggie scraps. Wetter veggie will mold quicker. I like to use carrots and potatoes. Keep bin warm and dry. Warmer conditions quicken mealworms lifecycle = more mealworms, I'm not sure what max temperature is, mine seem to do fine at room temp. Top off with additional feed. Eventually compost\toss the old bedding.


It's really pretty simple. If you were closer I'd start you off with a few dozen beetles... and I would think you have most of those materials lying around.

You make life hard on yourself.

I do 2 inches of oats (whatever is on sale) and carrots are my choice. Oats are their bedding and food... carrot is their water. Any container works, but people love totes. I used the "under the bed" style ones. Put holes in the sides about a inch above the fill line.

You do best with a minimum of 3 totes (so you don't have to start out with big ones like mine) You will rotate those out. The easiest way to do this is get those three level plastic drawers... if you have a dremel or skills... you can take one of the drawers, cut out the bottom (leaving a inch lip around the edge), put a screen down in it's place (that is what the lip is for... something to adhere tiny bit of glue to).... that drawer will be your beetle drawer, the beetles mate, lay eggs... shuffle the drawer a bit over the next one. The eggs will fall through the netting into the drawer below where they will hatch. They will me TINY and red. As the worms grow, make sure to leave some to develope into pupa, so don't feed them all. Those pupa can be put in the third drawer... which does not need water source. They aren't eatting anyways. As they turn into beetles, move them back to the beetle drawer. Start the process all over.

If you don't use a screen, you'll have to manually seperate the different life cycled. Beetles will eat eggs and babies hatched so it's best to give them two weeks to breed and move them... if that is the case, you will do better with more than three containers. This way you can get the most worms.

ETA as for temps... room temp is fine, but I keep mine in the dark and in the warmest room (I have hermies so I have a heat lamp on in there always) and it stays about 78F.

 

[Talbott Poultry]

Quote: tnchickenut or Grawg

Are either of you going to the Newport show/sale?


Edited to ask: Do you use the same bedding/feed in all different stages?