Mealworm farming

[Hypertay]

bbsnooks, you don't need to wet the paper at all. Just lay the carrots on top of the paper and that will be plenty of moisture. Otherwise you will have a serious mold problem and also mites.

onafixedincome, I agree! I have been quietly chuckling over the folks counting each pupa and waiting until they have an explosion of worms like I did! There won't be any counting in a month I guarantee!

I still recommend Amy's mealworms, it's like they were on fertility drugs. I think they're on a 3rd generation already, as many as there are now. I love hearing them rustling around in the paper in their bins!

Also, we have bluebirds! I put some more mealworms out yesterday and the bluebirds came! And some of the cardinals are trying them too. I got this pic of the birds in my makeshift birdbath.

 

[tiffu22]

I have bin with babies now so when do I give them food other than the bedding? They are still really tiny you can bearly see them.

 

[Hypertay]

I have bin with babies now so when do I give them food other than the bedding? They are still really tiny you can bearly see them.

You can give them a carrot and some chicken starter/grower/layer right now. I put the chick food in a pile and watch it level out during the day. I put a carrot on newspaper, several sheets thick and about 4"x8" that is lying on top of the wheat bran. I have also ground up eggshells and made a small pile on the bran and that gets leveled and mixed up in it. They will also eat the newspaper but that is ok, it is printed with soy ink. Replace the carrot when it disappears.

 

[ReefRanch]

I got 50 mealies today to start my farm. I am starting small because when I had them before it didn't take long to have way more than I wanted. Some of mine are pretty big so I will be on the look out for a beetle soon. So happy that my chicks will have nice juicy mealies to eat when they hatch!

 

[Lacy Blues]

I got 50 mealies today to start my farm. I am starting small because when I had them before it didn't take long to have way more than I wanted. Some of mine are pretty big so I will be on the look out for a beetle soon. So happy that my chicks will have nice juicy mealies to eat when they hatch!

Somebody posted (a week or so ago) about a time they gave a large-ish mealworm to one of their chicks. That mealworm chewed its way right out the top of that chick's head. If you want to feed nice big juicy mealies to your babies, either behead the worm first or cut it in half or something for the sake of your beloved little chikies!

 

[onafixedincome]

I've been playing it safe since that gross little incident, and run mealies through my hand-crank grain/corn grinder with chick starter and very small seeded stuff like finch/canary seed and dove/quail mix. Makes a nice variety of sizes, and the mealies contribute all the goodies and NO risk once they're ground in. The chooks LOVE it and the chicks love picking out just the right size they want.

Starting to get beetles from the 40K, and can't wait to get the whole thing running right again.

 

[gaitngirl]

I must have missed that post about a mealworm eating it's way out of a chick!!! That doesn't even seem possible!

 

[SigningChickens]

Oh no! I've been feeding my chicks superworms! I am going to start beheading them!! They love to grab them and run laps in the pen as if to say, "Look what I've got!"

Can superworms cause health problems? I have had a very itchy cough for a week and no I'm paranoid!

 

[SigningChickens]

*now

 

[ReefRanch]

I do know they can do that. I worked at a pet store for years and that happend to one of the lizards with a superworm. I freeze mealies for at least 3 days before feeding that way they are not able to put up a fight for my smaller pets. The bigger chickens should be fine as they kill things pretty well before eating them. The chicks that get in a hurry and Gulp the live ones are the ones that need them beheaded.