Meal worms

[Lorraine Perth]

I would like to feed my hens meal worms. I have a preference for the dried ones. Is there a difference between the fresh and dried?

 

[chooks4life]

Some things lose potency when dried, others gain some, but generally there's some loss of nutrients. It's not overly natural for a bird to be eating desiccated insects, fresh and juicy is more natural, but I don't think it'd harm them offhand. It's not overly natural for them to eat many thing we feed them, lol. Best wishes.

 

[bluefrog87]

Fresh are more juicy and nutritious , easier to digest, A smelly pain in the butt to raise and possibly gross out the handler

I like dried

 

[Viollettt]

So when you say fresh do you mean alive?

 

[aart]

Yes, fresh means alive....the way chooks like their protein best.

Not smelly to raise them if you keep their environment properly (just like chickens don't need to be as smelly if you keep their environment properly) and WAAYYY less expensive!

 

[bluefrog87]

Yes, fresh means alive....the way chooks like their protein best.

Not smelly to raise them if you keep their environment properly (just like chickens don't need to be as smelly if you keep their environment properly) and WAAYYY less expensive!

Yea but I've met most can keep the chicken coop clean...

I haven't met the guy that could keep this one clean (5/5) and it smells awful.

My family's chickens kinda don't get treats often other than a little scratch which is also less expensive

 

[chooks4life]

Yea but I've met most can keep the chicken coop clean...

I haven't met the guy that could keep this one clean (5/5) and it smells awful.

My family's chickens kinda don't get treats often other than a little scratch which is also less expensive

I use the deep litter method which won't work in all locations it seems, but it never stinks. I don't "clean" it out, though sometimes I remove some litter for the garden. Lime, lime, lime, if it stinks, lol... Hydrated agricultural lime can take care of all your stinky woes.

A bad smell is always due to overload of bad bacteria and harmful organisms, which is the very reason why it smells "bad" --- our systems tell us it's not healthy for us. Which means something needs adding to balance out the positive to negative.

Best wishes.