Mealworm farming

[hannakat]

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When I give it to the chickens, I chop it up along with other veggies and whatnot....throw on a little of this and a little of that. I've had pretty good luck with the mealies eating it as well. I don't over feed the mealies so they usually appreciate most of what I give them.....still don't do potato though and I don't know what's up with that.

 

[hannakat]

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I'd be interested in knowing what the tempurature actually is. My instincts say that if you're going to heat the colony with a lamp or light of some sort, keeping a thermometer in it for regular checking is a must.

The mealies go through stages and are not always bustling about (do wormies 'bustle'?!!). A good portion of the time they are just kinda laying around looking pretty. It's been my observation that as they get closer to shedding the exoskeleton, they move around less. Like Kassandra said, if they are dead they will turn black in a couple of days.

Let us know what temps you find.

 

[hannakat]

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Just saw the photos Kassandra. I need a 'greenwithenvy' smilie inserted here!

 

[hannakat]

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Hi Rob. I've noticed a subtle difference in mortality of the pupae between the bin and the 3-drawer. There is a slightly lower mortality rate in the 3-drawer. However, both of the colonies are doing well overall.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

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When I give it to the chickens, I chop it up along with other veggies and whatnot....throw on a little of this and a little of that. I've had pretty good luck with the mealies eating it as well. I don't over feed the mealies so they usually appreciate most of what I give them.....still don't do potato though and I don't know what's up with that.

Mine liked kale when they had been without anything for about a week. Now that winter is here I have more time for the mealies. Summer was very hard for me to have time with them.

And mine still do not really care for potatoes either and not so much the sweet potatoes but I had just given pumpkin to them so I am thinking they just didn't need more.
Hey, I was sharing the bounty!!!

My chickens won't eat greens I throw out unless it is babies in brooders. I have all my chickens in moveable tractors or pens accessible to grass so they get their greens. A tomato is a different story though! Different vitamins.

Hope you all did not eat too much yesterday yourselves. Goodness knows I did....again and again!

 

[onafixedincome]

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He he he...

Oh, yeah, you thought that was funny, did you?

Now, how many people's first thought for a reply was, "Well, did you get them?", hmmmm???

Uh-huh...thought so! *zing!* Gotcha!

Hope everyone's Thanksgiving was fantastic and full of fun.

 

[hannakat]

Quote:
When I give it to the chickens, I chop it up along with other veggies and whatnot....throw on a little of this and a little of that. I've had pretty good luck with the mealies eating it as well. I don't over feed the mealies so they usually appreciate most of what I give them.....still don't do potato though and I don't know what's up with that.

Mine liked kale when they had been without anything for about a week. Now that winter is here I have more time for the mealies. Summer was very hard for me to have time with them.

And mine still do not really care for potatoes either and not so much the sweet potatoes but I had just given pumpkin to them so I am thinking they just didn't need more.
Hey, I was sharing the bounty!!!

My chickens won't eat greens I throw out unless it is babies in brooders. I have all my chickens in moveable tractors or pens accessible to grass so they get their greens. A tomato is a different story though! Different vitamins.

Hope you all did not eat too much yesterday yourselves. Goodness knows I did....again and again!

Living in PA, we don't have anything growing during the winter for the girls to graze on. I make a platter of chopped veggies, yogurt, cottage cheese, BOSS, mealies & whatever else is available and they clean the platter bare. They love chopped cucumber, lettuce, kale, celery leaves but it does make a difference when it's chopped. If I put in a whole leaf of something, it might not be consumed, but chopped works for the girls.

Been rationing out the frozen mealies since the bugs are gone too. The girls hunt and hunt but no bugs to be found....the whole reason behind me starting the mealie farm in the first place. It's very satisfying to give them mealies that I raised myself over the freeze/dried ones. ALTHOUGH, they don't care where the mealies come from! hehehee

 

[Kassaundra]

I just tried clucky jay's suggestion of popped grain. She said she uses millet, but all I had was popping corn, so I put some in the bins today, they are happily crawling all over it.

 

[hannakat]

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I remember reading that but don't understand the purpose. Did you pop it first? Do they eat it?

Quite a while ago, someone posted pictures of their colony filled with corn husks....whoever it was didn't come back to answer questions that were asked regarding it's use. Made for a cool looking bin though!

 

[anklebiter]

Never thought of popped corn. If they like it, I have a quart of old (stale) popcorn kernels and an Air Popper. This might be a good use for them. I would definitely pop the kernels first, I don't see how the mealies could eat them unless they were popped.

I might try this later as an experiment.