Yes you can over feed mealworms. Mealworms are 50 % protein. The information that I have seen is that chickens can handle up to 70% protein before having kidney problems from excessive protein. That same information shows that turkeys can start having kidney problems from too high of protein at 40% protein levels. I did not find any information on guineas but everything else about guineas is much more consistent with turkeys than it is with chickens.R2elk, nice seeing you again! can you overfeed on mealworms? I thought they need higher protein and I am feeding lots of mealworms because the organic feed I get does not have a game bird edition - just layer feed and that has lower protein - do you think they are that sensitive to meal worms? I thought they are supposed to get a lot of insects.
Also, they all eat the same thing and some of them are really healthy.
The incident in the past was with sunflower seeds - because I gave too many over the winter and had a fatty liver and a ruptured artery in a hen in the spring when she tried to start laying and was too fat.
Now they are rather thin.
Too many mealworms and too much millet may still be a problem.
I really wish I knew what to do with the feed! How can it be so complicated that I am killing my birds with feed? I try to be non-GMO, but for Guineas there is no non-GMO game bird feed, is there? I only see chicken layer feed and hence I give them tons of mealworms to bring up the protein.
Yes, casportpony, those are mealworms in the bedding but they are uneaten - dried mealworms. They have them mixed in their feed.
I personally don't worry about whether or not my feed is non GMO. For the adult guineas, I do not concern myself if a feed is labelled specifically for guineas (turkey/gamebirds) as long as it is a quality feed. I have seen too many instances where it is used as a mean to sell poor quality feeds at exorbitant prices. My guineas get a 20% protein layer pellets, free choice oyster shell and no treats along with free range during the daytime. A quality 16% protein feed is fine for adult guineas.
Just as with turkeys, the keets are the ones that benefit from a high protein starter feed but it is also the additional nutrients such as niacin and methionine at higher levels that are as important as the protein for keets. Once they are adults they do not require as high a percentage of protein.
The problem with having an improper feed ration at a young age is that it does have a cumulative effect on them. Organs that were damaged when they are young may wear out at a younger age than normal even though they had an apparent recovery once the bad habits were stopped.
Good luck.