Mealworm farming

[Nutcase]

Hooray! I got my mealworms yesterday! They had been refridgerated so the warm weather here really got them going. I put them in the warmest room in the house overnight and this morning one had already pupated! Wow was that a lot faster than I was expecting!

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
I also have a house in a small city north of Nashville and someone had chickens and a Roo..... they had to get rid of them. Not sure of the legalities, it is a rural area, it may have just been because of the roo

I lived there for over 20 years and never saw a chicken anywhere in town...... I like the chickens... just odd to see them all of the sudden and everywhere.

 

[DMRippy]

Hooray! I got my mealworms yesterday! They had been refridgerated so the warm weather here really got them going. I put them in the warmest room in the house overnight and this morning one had already pupated! Wow was that a lot faster than I was expecting!

Good luck!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Hooray! I got my mealworms yesterday! They had been refridgerated so the warm weather here really got them going. I put them in the warmest room in the house overnight and this morning one had already pupated! Wow was that a lot faster than I was expecting!

Haha! that's awesome, what a great start! Be sure to not handle them much to avoid deformity, and be patient on the wee wormies, about the time you are ready to quit, you will see them.. most people its 6 weeks and they are posting "I GOT WORMS!"

I was ready to just chuck the whole thing and there they were when i tossed the veggies in.

 

[Chicks Galore3]

I've noticed some of my beetles are dying. Does this mean that they have laid there eggs? I am also wondering if some odd worms in the bedding are killing them. They are 1/2-3/4 inches long, grey and whitish striped and are fuzzy!!!!! Do I clean out the dead beetles?

 

[Cebarmlds]

I've noticed some of my beetles are dying. Does this mean that they have laid there eggs? I am also wondering if some odd worms in the bedding are killing them. They are 1/2-3/4 inches long, grey and whitish striped and are fuzzy!!!!! Do I clean out the dead beetles?

Grey and whitish and fuzzy are not mealworms!!! get those out of your bin! maybe someone else here will know what they are....

I take out dead beetles and feed them to the chickens, the beetles just die after they are so old I think.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I've noticed some of my beetles are dying. Does this mean that they have laid there eggs? I am also wondering if some odd worms in the bedding are killing them. They are 1/2-3/4 inches long, grey and whitish striped and are fuzzy!!!!! Do I clean out the dead beetles?

Yikes, no idea what the fuzzy worms are, but ya, get them out of the mealies bin. The beetles live 4-5 months then die off, Mine are just starting to now. I started my farm in august.The dead beetles wont hurt anything to stay in there, its totally your choice. I try not to "mess around" much in the colonies. The dust bothers me even with a mask, and the beetles seem to be more deformed if i do.

 

[showbarnmom]

At what age can I safely feed mealies to my chicks? I want to order mine, but I know I will want to feed them to the chicks and not just wait.

 

[Kassaundra]

At what age can I safely feed mealies to my chicks? I want to order mine, but I know I will want to feed them to the chicks and not just wait.

As long as they have grit you can start as early as day 3 (at least I have w/ all my chicks) I brood on sand so they have grit from day one.

 

[bnewns]

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?

Higher fatalities of the worms or birds. One of groups have been discussing that mealworms shouldn't be given to poultry.