meal worms ??????

[AHappychick]

ok some of you are gonna think I am nuts but this IS an important question to me. Can I feed my quail and chooks mealy worms from the pet store and still consider it an organic meal? or are they raised with anything that would not be allowed in "organic feeding" I bought some for the quail to help supplement some protien and on a whim got some for the chooks to but now I am afraid to feed it to them until I ask.

 

[coffeemama]

I'm not sure, but I have a friend who owns a bug biz-they raise mealworms among other things.

 

[Wifezilla]

Meal worms usually get rice bran and some kind of veggie peels or a potato. Sounds pretty organic to me.

 

[Lucky Ducky]

Mealworms are fed cornmeal. You could get some from the pet store, put them in a container with organic cornmeal with airholes. I'm not sure about the first generation but your second would definitely be organic. I got some for my guineas for a treat to be given anytime I approached their pen. I figured this would help get them use to being approached by me and the kiddos because they were already about 9 months old when I got them. After I gave them some, I gave some to my daughter's Golden Laced Bantam Cochin rooster. Our Dominique rooster has been being mean to him, so he perches up high during the day. He's even eating up there! Of course everyone else in the pen HAD to have some, before I knew all 50 were gone!

 

[ranchhand]

Interesting question- I have read/been told that mealworms raised as fish bait are pumped with steroids- but I don't think the ones from pet stores are. Just ask them, the manager should know where they come from. Or better still, ask a wildlife rehabber, as I am.

I order mealworms online - I just search mealworms, and buy for the best price, with no additives. They will keep a loooong time in the fridge. And I can guarantee that your guests will not linger once they find out you are raising mealworms in the fridge!

 

[AHappychick]

so with the ones I have I can make more???, I really hate bugs just me doing this was a testimate of my love for my chooks because I will handle anything: fish guts, mice snakes you name it but I hate bugs. These things are maggots no? ugg ok well I would prefer to grow them myself I guess that would be cheepest and i have cornmeal (organic of course lol) ok can anyone give me a quick lesson in meal worm breeding? UGG I can not believe I just typed that.

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
I'm not too fond of mealworms either, so I say........ don't bother. I use them for wild birds, not much for the hens. They are not gooshy (that's a technical word) like maggots, but still not much fun. For the hens, I get crickets as an occasional treat- NEVER get between a hen and a cricket! Mine get to ramble around regularly, so they eat bugs and worms aplenty.

In other words, you CAN feed them mealworms, but you don't HAVE to.

 

[AHappychick]

it really is more for the quail i have read that I need to give them extra protein but maybe I will find other ways...

 

[ranchhand]

Don't give up, sometimes it takes a few days for the experts to find you in the forum!

 

[ranchhand]

Hey! Adorable son, great garden, sooper-dooper brooder and why is the roo named borrowed time? I remember the "fishin' lady" now !