Mealworm farming

[joan1708]

thank you for your answers. so it sounds like it should be Ok to microwave. but how long would you micro wave 3 cups of wheat bran? Also, I've read (at the Texas A&M website) that the darkling beetle is a big problem for commercial poultry operations in that the larva set up colonies in the building insulation. Is this ever a problem for backyard operations? I would think feeding dead mealies would prevent that. Will the chickens still eat them if you freeze them for 24 hr prior to feeding. I know they go crazy for the dried mealies, but I don't know how to do that.

 

[Kassaundra]

what is the difference between heating in the oven and microwaving? Also, would diatomaceous earth hurt mealworms?

With the oven you can set the temp and have an even heat throughout the grain, w/ the micro there would be no way to set the heat and you would end up w/ super hot pockets and to cool pockets.

 

[Kassaundra]

thank you for your answers. so it sounds like it should be Ok to microwave. but how long would you micro wave 3 cups of wheat bran? Also, I've read (at the Texas A&M website) that the darkling beetle is a big problem for commercial poultry operations in that the larva set up colonies in the building insulation. Is this ever a problem for backyard operations? I would think feeding dead mealies would prevent that. Will the chickens still eat them if you freeze them for 24 hr prior to feeding. I know they go crazy for the dried mealies, but I don't know how to do that.

I feed my chickens dubias, which are quite a bit more mobile then a meal worm, and I would eat ANY that my girls missed!!!!! Trust me when I say I'm not worried about that statement.

Gary made a video w/ the camera of me feeding the chickens I will try and post it sometime this week.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Hi! I rec'd my mealworms from Westknollamy and put them in their new home this am. I inquired about mealworms awhile back b/c I'm SOOO scared of catapillars and wanted to know if mealies are just as bad. Well y'all are right, they aren't as bad and I even touched a few and didn't freak out! I'm sure my chickens will thank y'all!

Glad to hear you got them okay.
I am now on back order with my sales. I have sold thousands and thousands with a few repeat customers and have to wait for the new ones to mature. In the meantime I try to put some back to pupate so I have more beetles.
This has turned into a fun adventure and my DH and I both enjoy it. Our DD has spent many a Sunday afternoon foregoing her friends' company to stay home and help separate out beetles and mealies. What a nice family time it has become for us.

We get so tickled to hear a bin of about 8,000 mealies making their noise and beetles are really neat to watch scurry around looking for goodness knows what.

Oh yeah, reereechickens, my hubby hates caterpillars and grasshoppers but he tolerates the beetles and mealies quite well.

 

[G-Man]

I feed my chickens dubias, which are quite a bit more mobile then a meal worm, and I would eat ANY that my girls missed!!!!! Trust me when I say I'm not worried about that statement.

Gary made a video w/ the camera of me feeding the chickens I will try and post it sometime this week.

Ha, ha! Now that's confidence!

Looking forward to your cool video.

 

[reereechickens]

Thanks WestKnollAmy I hope I can keep these going!

 

[Cebarmlds]

I am new to mealworms, just recieved 5000 they are waiting for the substate to come to room temperature before adding them to the bin. Couldn't find bulk wheatbran at the feed stores so got some from the coop and it was a little more than I wanted to spend so just got like 2 lbs. So I have 2 bins and in the 2nd one will use oatmeal. Then I can find out which works better. My bag o wormies is noisy They are in the basement and DH doesn't know about them yet

 

[Homegroanacres]

Amy

I have ba ba ba ba Beatles!!!....Copper Ones and Black Ones.....

There was a learning curve, before I ordered from you I bought a 3 drawer storage bin
carefully cut out the bottom of the top drawer, froze my substrate, let it sit at room temp
for several days then put it and the mealies in the drawer. yea!!! OoooPPPsss, woke up two
days later and looked and the drawer was empty!! The window screen had fallen out due to the
weight.

Well that really tick me off so I went to the barn and dug out one of my tubs
that you mix concrete in cleaned it up and dumped everything in that, covered it with a cut up
paper bag!! Later I look and it seemed that they had all shed their skin....so I just said fine you
live or you die I'm done mess with ya...

Low and behold looked today and the tub was awash with mealies'

John

 

[OmwToGallifrey]

I'm wary of using wheat bran again. The last time I used it I think it spoiled and wound up stinking my whole place. It took a good month to get rid of the smell.
I'm moving my growing operating into the barn just in case I have any problems like that in the future. I'm currently putting walls up in one of my stalls and insulating it so it'll be easy to control temperature year-round.

 

[mychookschick]

I'm wary of using wheat bran again. The last time I used it I think it spoiled and wound up stinking my whole place. It took a good month to get rid of the smell.
I'm moving my growing operating into the barn just in case I have any problems like that in the future. I'm currently putting walls up in one of my stalls and insulating it so it'll be easy to control temperature year-round.

Wow! That is cool! It always amazes me how much people spend on adventures! I wish that I could try some of the ideas that I hear! So, do you buy the parts that you need for this operation, or do you salvage, or both?