Mealworm farming

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
All good advice. I wouldn't get rid of any deformed beetles, use them for breeding.

 

[Nutcase]

Oh OK, so the deformed beetles won't produce a deformed generation? That's good news but I'd better make sure I don't overhandle the pupae.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Oh OK, so the deformed beetles won't produce a deformed generation? That's good news but I'd better make sure I don't overhandle the pupae.

that's the key to it. My beetles are usually fine unless i am digging a lot in the colony. I can always tell if I was "messing" too much with them, i get a streak of deformed beetles. I only move beetles tho, and use veggies to draw the worms out for feeding. I don't touch the pupa at all anymore. Main thing to remember, we use the mealies, not the beetles anyways. being deformed shouldn't matter, and if they can't breed, nature takes its course. The beetles that can't move wind up getting eaten.

 

[rmonge00]

I just bought 500 mealworms and am planning on starting a LARGE operation. I want to raise 50 meat chickens this summer and I want to feed them mainly off of a combination of mealworms, bread, and pasture. I think I will need somewhere between 10-30 pounds of mealworms per week. I would also love to feed the mealworms mainly from stale bread and veggies. Does anyone have any experience doing this? Am I crazy for thinking this is a possibility?

 

[Ecoria]

Newbie here so take my opinion with that in mind. I think that diet sounds very limited for birds you after looking to consume after only several months of life. Also from what I'm reading on this thread 500 worms won't begin to provide you with that amount of mealies by summer. I just bought 3000 worms and am only looking to feed up to 10 birds as a supplement since they do not get to free range daily.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I just bought 500 mealworms and am planning on starting a LARGE operation. I want to raise 50 meat chickens this summer and I want to feed them mainly off of a combination of mealworms, bread, and pasture. I think I will need somewhere between 10-30 pounds of mealworms per week. I would also love to feed the mealworms mainly from stale bread and veggies. Does anyone have any experience doing this? Am I crazy for thinking this is a possibility?

an 8 oz cup of live worms is approximately 1,000 of them. I would think you will want to start with a higher amount. I started with about 2,000, and I feed out about 4 -8 oz daily. my farm has been going about 6 months now. I adjust what i give the birds to weather conditions. That high a protein diet for meaties will probbably result in higher fatalities, but I am no expert. What type of meatbirds are you considering?

 

[DMRippy]

I started with maybe 1200in the fall of 2011...... I still don't feed them out LOL. I have millions.... well maybe not, but lots

I have so many birds I would be out of worms by the end of the week if I feed them out. I have sold some to other local chicken lovers and to my neighbor for her gecko. I can sell worms for the price of a pullet and they eat a lot less

Strange, you would think a pullet would be worth 2x's the price of worms.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I started with maybe 1200in the fall of 2011...... I still don't feed them out LOL. I have millions.... well maybe not, but lots

I have so many birds I would be out of worms by the end of the week if I feed them out. I have sold some to other local chicken lovers and to my neighbor for her gecko. I can sell worms for the price of a pullet and they eat a lot less

Strange, you would think a pullet would be worth 2x's the price of worms.

soo true! I was swarmed with requests when our fellow campground members found out. Lot of fishing people want them, I am finding out. I went 2 generations before I started using them, have 4 big totes now. I mostly feed as treats to the birds about 1/2 cup a day. I hope between selling chicks, eggs this year and mealies to pay for my feed at least! If not Its all good. My Dad just loves the birds and keeps him active. I am just amazed how many people want to start keeping chickens... some good friends are fighting the city to get to keep a few hens themselves.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
We have a farm in an ag area and a house in downtownish nashville. They just passed the law that you can have chickens. Jan was the start of the first full year. We have lived here for years (me 5 years, hubby like 30) and we saw some pullets running around in a neighbors yard the other day for the first time. Just odd to see them in town.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

We have a farm in an ag area and a house in downtownish nashville. They just passed the law that you can have chickens. Jan was the start of the first full year. We have lived here for years (me 5 years, hubby like 30) and we saw some pullets running around in a neighbors yard the other day for the first time. Just odd to see them in town.

Its pretty silly where u can and can't keep them here. Indianapolis, no problem.. Its a huge city. My friends are up in Anderson, much smaller city and they can't...

Just crazy.