Lets talk Mealworms

[d_outcast]

Interesting discussion. I was wondering if ours, who are not the slightest bit interested in mealworms, are not really chickens but some form of very persnickety and picky alien creatures that demand only the best treats.
Our 8 week old chicks have not liked dried mealworms at all. They turn up their beaks to them and look at me like, "what? you expect us to eat that??" I think one or maybe two of the 13 girls may have tried one when I sprinkled them into their run in the designated "treat spot."
We started trying them about 3-4 weeks ago, thinking it would be a Big Treat. Uh uh. So then I bought a small bag of dried crickets, thinking ok, surely they'll go bananas over these! Nope. Same thing. "Srsly mom, you expect us to EAT those?" And those things are stinky!
What they do like so far in addition to their medicated Chick feed and chick grit is chasing after a full head of cabbage hanging from a string (tetherball) in their run, pieces of all kinds of salad greens, lettuce, spinach, that red cabbage stuff, purple endive, a little radish cut up, carrot, sugarsnap peas cut up in bite size pieces, cantaloupe, frozen berries, kale hung from a string, broccoli hung from a string (are you detecting a theme? they love playing tetherball and keep away with their favorite treats hung from a string. Peaches, pears, berries of all kinds, toast with raspberry jelly spread on it, frozen cottage cheeze in a plastic ice cube tray. So cute when they have white cottage cheese on the tips of their beaks, until they wipe it on my legs.
so I guess, given all those fresh treats, I would turn my beak up at dried mealworms and crickets too -- they're no fools.

Maybe you should stick the mealworms in the cabbage. See if they will eat it. Lol...

 

[thepick4uchicks]

Interesting discussion. I was wondering if ours, who are not the slightest bit interested in mealworms, are not really chickens but some form of very persnickety and picky alien creatures that demand only the best treats.
Our 8 week old chicks have not liked dried mealworms at all. They turn up their beaks to them and look at me like, "what? you expect us to eat that??" I think one or maybe two of the 13 girls may have tried one when I sprinkled them into their run in the designated "treat spot."
We started trying them about 3-4 weeks ago, thinking it would be a Big Treat. Uh uh. So then I bought a small bag of dried crickets, thinking ok, surely they'll go bananas over these! Nope. Same thing. "Srsly mom, you expect us to EAT those?" And those things are stinky!
What they do like so far in addition to their medicated Chick feed and chick grit is chasing after a full head of cabbage hanging from a string (tetherball) in their run, pieces of all kinds of salad greens, lettuce, spinach, that red cabbage stuff, purple endive, a little radish cut up, carrot, sugarsnap peas cut up in bite size pieces, cantaloupe, frozen berries, kale hung from a string, broccoli hung from a string (are you detecting a theme? they love playing tetherball and keep away with their favorite treats hung from a string. Peaches, pears, berries of all kinds, toast with raspberry jelly spread on it, frozen cottage cheeze in a plastic ice cube tray. So cute when they have white cottage cheese on the tips of their beaks, until they wipe it on my legs.
so I guess, given all those fresh treats, I would turn my beak up at dried mealworms and crickets too -- they're no fools.

Vegetarians a flock of vegetarians then. Mine are very Similar. They did do anything for mealworms and now that they have been outside close to a month it has turned them. It’s real big guts and protein now or nothing mostly. I have determined that the reason that they still take the mealworms from hand is because they like to peck at the shiny things on my hand also- called my rings also in the process. I usually don’t have those on during chore times. I have the for thoughts to take them off or I have them already off early in the mornings but during afternoon treat times I sometimes forget that I have put them on. Mine have really just stood fast for their veggies and now that I have introduced them to some fruit this week with some apple they will take that also.

 

[centrarchid]

Interesting discussion. I was wondering if ours, who are not the slightest bit interested in mealworms, are not really chickens but some form of very persnickety and picky alien creatures that demand only the best treats.
Our 8 week old chicks have not liked dried mealworms at all. They turn up their beaks to them and look at me like, "what? you expect us to eat that??" I think one or maybe two of the 13 girls may have tried one when I sprinkled them into their run in the designated "treat spot."
We started trying them about 3-4 weeks ago, thinking it would be a Big Treat. Uh uh. So then I bought a small bag of dried crickets, thinking ok, surely they'll go bananas over these! Nope. Same thing. "Srsly mom, you expect us to EAT those?" And those things are stinky!
What they do like so far in addition to their medicated Chick feed and chick grit is chasing after a full head of cabbage hanging from a string (tetherball) in their run, pieces of all kinds of salad greens, lettuce, spinach, that red cabbage stuff, purple endive, a little radish cut up, carrot, sugarsnap peas cut up in bite size pieces, cantaloupe, frozen berries, kale hung from a string, broccoli hung from a string (are you detecting a theme? they love playing tetherball and keep away with their favorite treats hung from a string. Peaches, pears, berries of all kinds, toast with raspberry jelly spread on it, frozen cottage cheeze in a plastic ice cube tray. So cute when they have white cottage cheese on the tips of their beaks, until they wipe it on my legs.
so I guess, given all those fresh treats, I would turn my beak up at dried mealworms and crickets too -- they're no fools.

Try live meal worms. After they consume a few, they will always consume the live insect before any other treat.

 

[getaclue]

I raise mealworms for my chickens. I don't dry them.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Maybe you should stick the mealworms in the cabbage. See if they will eat it. Lol...

The visual on that is more than I could take!!!

 

[CrazyTownChick]

I raise mealworms for my chickens. I don't dry them.

How, may I ask?

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Vegetarians a flock of vegetarians then. Mine are very Similar. They did do anything for mealworms and now that they have been outside close to a month it has turned them. It’s real big guts and protein now or nothing mostly. I have determined that the reason that they still take the mealworms from hand is because they like to peck at the shiny things on my hand also- called my rings also in the process. I usually don’t have those on during chore times. I have the for thoughts to take them off or I have them already off early in the mornings but during afternoon treat times I sometimes forget that I have put them on. Mine have really just stood fast for their veggies and now that I have introduced them to some fruit this week with some apple they will take that also.

Yes, mine love to peck at my rings or watch, or anything shiny. I'm careful when I happen to have earrings on (RARELY) not to get to close or they will be pecked at too.
This week we bought two inexpensive hand mirrors at the dollar store and hung them in the run. They love looking at themselves and pecking. Some more than others. In fact one of them who I suspect might be a rooster, seems to enjoy walking past and admiring her or himself in the the mirror the most. Teenagers!

 

[Kusanar]

How, may I ask?

Take a look at this thread, any questions you may have are nearly guaranteed to be answered over there. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/mealworm-farming.492636/

I watch that thread, so if you still have questions after looking through there a bit, leave a comment and I'll try to answer it for you

 

[getaclue]

I buy 50# bags of wheat bran.
I use a couple large casserole dishes, and fill them with with bran. Heat the bran in the oven, at 200 degrees, for 20 minutes. I stir it some after about 10 minutes, so it heats thoroughly.
When it cools some, I put it into gallon freezer bags, and then into the freezer.

Buy some live mealworms. Some vendors will include a few beetles, if you ask them. Get a couple plastic containers, and wash them. I use the size that is a bit larger than the shoebox containers. In a clean, dry plastic container, pour enough wheat bran, so it's about 1/3rd. full. Cut an organic carrot into 4 - 5 pieces, and put on top. Cut a paper/cardboard egg carton in half, and put the cup half in the middle. They like to hide under there. Add mealworms, and beetles. Every 4 days, add another carrot, cut into pieces. It's generally about a 21 day cycle, once it's fully established.

You will need a set of classifiers, which are sold online. This will help sort beetles from worms, and babies/eggs.

 

[lizziemt]

Well this thread is interesting. Over the past ten years we have had 0 chicks or chickens who would turn up their beaks at mealworms of any sort. They also love sour grass, which looks like clover but forms yummy seed pods, and is a totally FREE treat. Thank goodness.