Mealworm farming

[WillsC]

Seems that I started something...

It began by accident...the mealies are for the CHICKENS, let's get that straight. But...when you have a stubborn Serama on the cages jjjuuuuuuussst out of reach, you bribe them how you can, right? Right!

So I offered her a handful and of course there were a couple running up my arm. I twitched, and they dropped into a wire-mesh-bottomed feeder that happened to be otherwise empty, since I hadn't fed the rabbits yet. That doe gobbled them down faster than I could blink, and tried to chew on my arm for more.

I waited a few days to see how it affected her--nada. So I started to think...what if? Feed's going up and up in cost, and one of the main drivers is...protein. Hmmm....I handed out a few more to see if they were universally accepted, and they seem to be pretty well received. Most rabbits thought they were pretty cool, wiggly or not. I suspect that since they are said to taste nutty and wheat-ish, and rabbits love that sort of thing, that may be the key.

I'll be starting to breed again soon, since we're into fall now and the bucks should be fertile again. I'll be running some split-litter feed trials to see whether the mealies affect growth and feed consumption/conversion.

PS...the darn Serama came down in her own sweet time, thanks...!

Well isn't that interesting.......I will have to try giving a few to my does just to see the reaction. Not sure where you live but I think that whole bucks go sterile in the summer thing is hogwash. I live in central Florida and it is in the mid 90's for months on end and my rabbits breed and produce litters all summer. It is harder though to get the does to lift for the bucks in the heat but near sunrise in the coolest part of the day works.

I have a couple of half barrels under some of the cages that are under the auto water bowls and they stay more wet and use those to attract black soldier fly's. I took a golf ball size chunk of that wet manure and the mealworms took right to it but it could have been for the water. I am going to set up two containers one with bran and one with just dry manure and put the same number of pupae in them and see what happens.

 

[onafixedincome]

I love doing experiments!

Sent you a PM on the rabbit sterility thing--rest assured, it's real. I do wonder why chickens don't go sterile, though....hm!

Oh well, just glad the mealies don't!! Moving a bin of about 2000 beetles to new quarters and letting the bedding incubate tonight....whee... :rolleyes

 

[Debbz]

Rabbits eat lots of different sorts of bugs that are on the grass they chew, so I guess protein isn't altogether foreign to them. Might be best not to overdo it though. We all know about the heart attacks chickens get when fed a very high protein diet, and they're used to protein, where rabbits aren't except in very small amounts.

 

[onafixedincome]

Rabbits' ideal diet runs high in 'long' fiber (like from hay) and 16-18% protein, usually...one of the problems when 'supplementing' a pelleted diet is that protein content tends to drop drastically, as does fat/oil content unless you're feeding a lot of (spendy) things like oilseeds and oilseed meals.

I'm figuring that if I can use mealies (call 'em 44%, like soy meal) as part of that protein need, and fill in the rest with lesser amounts of oilseed meals and other proteinaceous stuff like calf manna, I can still help drop my feed costs, same as with the chickens....

Guess I'll find out!

(BTW...rabbits fed a very high protein diet are more likely to have kidney issues than cardiac ones.)

 

[Debbz]

Guess I'll find out!

Indeed you will! Sounds like you know what you're doing. I'm all for a healthy diet for animals at a budget cost.

 

[onafixedincome]

Indeed you will! Sounds like you know what you're doing. I'm all for a healthy diet for animals at a budget cost.

Shhh!! Every time I think I know what there is to know about the darn furballs, they come up with something new!

At least with the chickens, I can legitimately call it a 'learning curve'....!

 

[bluej]

I'm trying to get started raising mealworms & have had no luck finding wheat bran within 100 miles of my place. I read somewhere (maybe this thread-I have actually read all 444 pages) that Gamebird crumbles could be used. My local farm store has this product which they say is similar to chick starter in form. Can someone tell me if I'm on the right track here? I know I can use oatmeal, & fortify with powdered milk & whole wheat flour, but I'm trying to find something that I can buy cheaply in bulk. Any info is appreciated!

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I'm trying to get started raising mealworms & have had no luck finding wheat bran within 100 miles of my place. I read somewhere (maybe this thread-I have actually read all 444 pages) that Gamebird crumbles could be used. My local farm store has this product which they say is similar to chick starter in form. Can someone tell me if I'm on the right track here? I know I can use oatmeal, & fortify with powdered milk & whole wheat flour, but I'm trying to find something that I can buy cheaply in bulk. Any info is appreciated!

They should do well on the gamebird crumbles, so I say go for it.

 

[bluej]

Thank you!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Just a heads up to anyone looking to buy from Grubco.
I had a customer purchase some from me recently and in speaking with them about the order and the total cost they informed me that they had purchased some from Grubco and it said at the end of the purchase page that it was a mere $58. They were happy with the price but when they got their statement it showed they had been charged about $75. They asked customer service about it and they said that covered the shipping and handling, Nothing was mentioned on their final sales page about that. They were quite ticked about the dishonesty and the company seems to care less about how they feel.
I wasn't sure about it but I went into their website today and found the same info. There are other companies out there that are very honest so make sure one is recommended from happy customers first before you purchase.