Mealworm farmers question...

[kennedyscochins]

I am considering starting a small mealworm farm. I thought would start with 500 worms. I currently have 50 chickens. Would this be enough worms? Can they be fed as the main source of feed or as a supplement? I am completely new to mealworms but thought it would be worth a try.

 

[colonel sander]

I am new to this but 500 does not seem like enough to me. If you have 50 chickens I would think you would only be able to feed them as treats. I have 2000 on the way for 6 chickens and am just feeding as treats. Also will take a few months for them to start reproducing. Look at this thread and start reading

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=492636

 

[PsychoChicken]

I would start with at least 1,000.

 

[OkChickens]

I usually have about 80-100+ full grown chickens also hatching and raising chicks. I am new to meal worms as well I just received 10,000 Meal worms in the mail. I Free Range my 70 RSL Layers and I will be supplementing there protein with meal worms. The 30 other Chickens are in coops with runs I plan on feeding quite a few a day to everyone but more to the ones in the Coops to boost there protein and also reduce there feed cost. Check out the MealWorm Farming Thread In feeding and watering your flock! I got a pretty good deal on my meal worms from nyworms.com I paid $77 for 10,000 Shipped to my door!


Nate

 

[kennedyscochins]

Quote:
Wow! 10,000 seems like so many. My chickens free range everyday as well. So, you are planning to feed them as a supplement for the free range ones and then will you be feeding mostly mealworms or feed to the ones in the coop?

 

[OkChickens]

I'm not sure yet, probably close to that. I thought is would be a huge box but its actually not a whole lot. I have them in a Large 3 door cabinet only occupying 2 of the 3 doors. I cut 2 potatoes in half and put in a carrot in each drawer and they covered it! I will probably end up selling some here and there and I raise meat birds so I will feed them those as well.

Nate

 

[CluckyJay]

I am working on getting millions of mealworms going. That and the soldier fly larvae. I think in the millions I can actually begin to make a decent food for them and the other animals we have/are getting.

It'll take us building a breeding shed to get enough and keep them going year round. Were also selling them later this year.