Mealworm farming

[WestKnollAmy]

You are well on your way now!

 

[sadies chicks]

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Thanks! I was JUST looking at your website, that is too funny! You have some fantastic looking sizzles!!

too bad I am in Oregon! Although my sis is in SC, but she isn't a chicken person

 

[motherhenmindy]

So I've got like 50-60 pupa and maybe a dozen or so beetles. I'm moving beetles to a new bin just so that I can clean the original bin once everyone has made their transformation. Anyway, in the new bin, I added cornmeal flour to my bedding, I was just using oatmeal. I dunno, maybe that was a dumb move. I used a lot more than I had intended, maybe like 3 cups, coats the bottom mostly..and oatmeal is on top of that. I notice a few of my beetles on their back...a lot... I move them, they move around and bit, and go back to back laying...like they are dying. Is the corn meal a bad idea? Should I take it out? Am I suffocating them because it's powdery?

Edited to add: I just notice that the beetles seem to be struggling in the cornmeal...they are fairly coated by it. Every time I see one I think I should deep fry the poor thing.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

sadies chicks,
that was too funny! Especially since I am working on the website on another screen. It is so big and I plug away deleting and adding different photos. DH says to update it every 3 months. Funny, I don't see him doing all that work with it! It is a lot to work with but I do enjoy it. It is just time consuming.
I still have some Sizzles not on the page yet that are very pretty. They make good yard pets for the city folk that come out to buy chickens.

I want to put in a plug on there about the meal worms but need more photos and I want to take some of the chicks battling over the meal worms.


motherhenmindy,

But I got a good laugh about deep frying one.

 

[cpchicks]

I bought mealworms yesterday. I only got 100. Will it take very long for them to multiply if the weather is in the low 80s during the day and the 50s at night? I'll have to read back through the posts to find out what to do. I gave them oatmeal and oat bran and a little wheat flour. Is the flour bad? I just read the post about deep frying!!

I just have them in a plastic shoebox for now but I'll be looking for the plastic drawers at recycle.
Cheryl the worm farmer

 

[ChickenLoverChrista]

OK - here is my silly question......

How to YOU offer worms to your chickens?: idunno

 

[colebarnhart]

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I use a pair of medical hemostat pliers, easier to grab and the chix jump up and grab them real easy.

 

[ByeByeBlackBird]

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Dubia are great!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

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I like putting them in the palm of my hand and the first time the chicks will just stare at them and turn their head from side to side looking at the wriggling mass but once one grabs one it is on!

Now when I put my hand in (after only one time!) to feed and water them, the chicks come running and shmush their little faces into my fingers looking for more. They explore my fingers and hand the whole time I am working in the brooders. I wish I could treat them every day with more!

That reminds me....I gotta order more now that the Guinea keets have hatched out. They WILL love me! No matter how crazy they act!

I also have poured the meal worms into dishes for them to grab out. With several hundred chicks it would take me forever with forceps.

 

[motherhenmindy]

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I put them in a dish to carry them outside to the birds but we hand feed ours, it's nice socialization...bugs sort of gross me out, but ever since I've had the chickens, I've been getting over my bug phobia issues quite quickly. I've also taught my 3 girls to handle the worms and beetles...gets them more brave about bugs, too.