Mealworm farming

[WestKnollAmy]

No problem on them finding the veggies. My largest bins are 14x24" and I can put the stuff just right in the middle and they all come pouring out of the substrate to get it. They are very sensitive to the smell of anything with moisture. Within seconds they are all over what ever I put in.
However, just to make sure I don't have a big wet spot on the paper I put stuff all over the bin.

Hannakat, you think cold bran was bad, you should put a muscadine in there! I swear I heard a few cuss words as they were trying to get through that thick skin!
I should have cut them open but didn't want to take the time so they had to work to get to that juice. Once they got through it though, they were very pleased. They enjoyed that fruit. Almost as much as cantaloupe and watermelon.

 

[Chickangel79]

Thanks I won't worry so much now !!

 

[Cakela]

Today was a sad day... until I came inside.

Had to bury a meaty today, poor guy.. He had a good life, I think, considering if I wasn't such a sissy he'd be on my table.

After burying the big guy I came in, checked meal worms annnnddd...

I have my first beetle!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

On the beetle, not your poor meatie.

 

[hannakat]

Quote:

Ah, you were just giving them something decent to prevent boredom! It really can't be all that exciting crawling around in bran all the time!

I still can't give mine fruit other than apple.....just don't have enough critters in there to eat it fast enough. A portion is being pick out every 3-4 days and going in the freezer. When I find a white wormie, I grab that up for the freezer too. Somewhere in the back of my mind I feel that a worm with a soft exoskeleton is yummier.

I'm back to separating the pupae....call me a nut. I also put the older beetles in a separate container in my single bin to keep the generations from mingling. I need to get a job or something!

Your bins are soooo impressive! Are you feeding many to the chickadees yet?


Cakela ~ Oh...so sorry!

Finding beetles in your colony is a very bright spot though.

 

[Cakela]

He was 8 months old, so by meaty standards that a pretty long life. He was sick, had been on antibiotics, was looking better. Guess his size just wasn't helping. But in meat bird style, he passed with his head in the food dish of his chicken hospital.

I took pictures of the little grave I made him, glad he's not suffering anymore. I took pictures of his little grave, pig rock as a headstone with a punch of little rocks covering it.

I also have been separating pupae in hopes of watching one turn into a beetle.. no luck with the first one.

Maybe the next one!

 

[Terri O]

Weird...I lost a bird today too...one of my favorite young hens called Robin. She looked just like one! She was about 5 months I think...not even laying yet! No idea what was the problem...nice weight, no bugs, not sick, no idea....the beagle didnt get any more mealworms...Terri O

 

[Cakela]

Sorry to hear that

 

[WestKnollAmy]

About once a week I am feeding meal worms to the breeder pens so they are used to them. The chicks in the brooders get them about twice a week.

Funny but every time I feed the meal worms I worry I am gong to run out.

Oh yeah! This to the person asking what brand the microwave meal was. The strainer that came with the food was from Marie Callender's. I have a bunch of them now as I eat them way too much but one can only have so many sandwiches and burritos. And DH won;t cook me bacon, eggs, biscuits and gravy every night....for some reason.

 

[galanie]

Quote:
Marie Callendars! Thanks! I'm going now to look. Ok not now, tomorrow hehe. Thanks!

Oh and PS: Shame on DH!