Mealworm farming

[GiddyMoon]

You don't need a high number to start your farm, nor spend $30-$50 to get started if you can't afford to.

You can get 1000 worms including shipping delivered off ebay for $13.00. Every female will lay hundred of eggs within 2 mths and the eggs generally hatch after a couple of weeks. When I got mine, within a week they all pupated and I maybe had 5 deaths total. Even 100 mealworms will turn into thousands within a few weeks if they are kept warm. If you are not comfortable ordering online or don't have a chunk to buy a bunch..you don't have to. You can get containers of them at most pet stores. They do fine in oatmeal too.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Great info people! Thank you.
I sent an email to the folks at Worm Man but they haven't answered and probably won't until Monday. That will give me time to set up the wheat bran or oatmeal (I have both in bulk). I could not get the check out to work on that website. Must be too good to be true then!

I do want to start up with a lot because I always will need a lot. I have over 700 birds here and to give them all a taste I have to have a lot of meal worms. Of course, my free ranging birds can get their own but that is only about 60 birds. All the others are in breeding pens or grow up pens. Last week I had 5 pens of just roosters but have thinned down now. Made more room for more youngsters to grow up.

Wow! It would be great to start with 5000! Wonder if my container could hold all those..... I can always buy more containers!

I really would like them to get to breeding and make more but with 5000 I could share a few with the 300 chicks I have growing in brooders.

 

[hannakat]

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[hannakat]

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Wow....that's a lot of birds! They're gonna LOVE you for the extra effort! This will be so good for your penned birds. Have you looked into the roaches? I watched some videos the other evening just to see if I thought I could get over the yuck factor, but I don't think I can. It's still on my mind though. We actually saw a reptile setup with heater and everything at a yard sale today but I couldn't cough up the $35 for an insect that I'm not sure I can handle....hahaha.... the lenghts we'll go for the well being of our chickens! Love it!

 

[galanie]

I live in the south and I don't care what kind they are, there is just no way I'd have any roaches on purpose.

Just wanted to add that my cockatiel loves mealworms too. She always looks at them, mesmerized, like people do when they see a car wreck. After a couple minutes of this she dives in! LOL. It's so funny to watch.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Hey, I am not even thrilled with meal worms in my house but will tolerate it for the birds. Cockaroaches are another matter. I think those suckers can fly but even if not, the birds better be happy with the meal worms.
I often turn over logs or move wood or blocks and find roaches of some sort. The chickens are always there to gobble them up.

 

[hannakat]

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[In His Service]

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I am originally from the south...and agree whole-heartedly!!

 

[luvmesomechicks]

So turns out I had bought superworms (blah) and got rid of em. Now I have a mixture of large worms and rainbow mealworms. I gave them some of the cactus from out back and they ate it right up. Gave them carrots and broccoli as well and they seem to like it. All I have now is two containers and I have no clue what the age is. I have been taking out dead worms as well as the shed skin. I noticed that they tend to be more active in the dark. When I take the cover off them they take cover. Hopefully soon I will have a little Patrick of my own

 

[hannakat]

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and then a Sylvia and more Patricks and more Sylvias...