Mealworm farming

[WestKnollAmy]

I don't mind the worms so much but I don't like it when the beetles get on my hand or fingers. I have that automatic reaction to fling it off.

I will watch the beetles for a while as I work in their bins. Kinda creepy, but not. I know it will get better for me but the beetles are not as much fun as my mealies. I have very few mealies left. They are all growing up!

Maybe I like mealies because I see that more as a benefit to the chicks and chickens but I think it just goes back to playing with caterpillars when I was growing up. We found so many different kinds to enjoy. My chickens won't eat caterpillars.

 

[Urban Chaos]

I posted a question earlier about raising them in dirt - turns out it works fantastically. The reason we went with dirt is sheer laziness, we had a terrarium that was already set up with dirt and dumped ours on in. We have so many that our chickens are in mealworm heaven on a daily basis.

 

[sadies chicks]

Quote:
I used to hand feed them but once they started taking on velocoraptor-crazy-worm-frenzy attitudes I basically would throw and run! Throw and run!

(imagine the smiley running and screaming)

 

[ChickenLoverChrista]

Thank you guys so much for answering me.

 

[sadies chicks]

Quote:
In all seriousness though, I used to hand feed them but once they started getting bigger and therefore *stronger* I opted to just toss the wormies on the ground to save my hands from being pecked to death.

 

[Laurelm]

Quote:
I used to hand feed them but once they started taking on velocoraptor-crazy-worm-frenzy attitudes I basically would throw and run! Throw and run!

(imagine the smiley running and screaming)

Love it! Funny stuff!

 

[OwensMom]

You guys are all so funny!! I feed mine from dishes. My girls mob me at the gate and wait at the dishes not very pateintly. I'd be afraid to hand feed-might loose a few fingers if not the entire hand.

 

[Chicken Chat]

I'm a new mealworm farmer, just got my first ones yesterday! I didn't think they would be this hard to find. I had to go to 4 places before I found some and only found one small container. The pet store had plenty but only the "supers" which I didn't want. I'm really excited about this new hobby and I think the chickens will love them. I've been buying them the freeze dried ones but those are so expensive. The rest of the family isn't so thrilled about having worms and beetles in the house but since they won't have to touch or look at them, I don't think they have anything to complain about. I can't wait to move to the next level, and I'm already talking to them.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I just took some dying meal worms down to the brooder room. My 2 month olds were so excited when they saw the container they were practically jumping up and down. I poured some in my hand, had one chick fly up on my arm and start helping herself so I had to push her off but when I put my hand down everyone was nice about grabbing and running. No one has hurt me yet and I have about 50 chicks loose in the brooder room. Not all come up for worms though.

I tried to get photos of tug of war chicks but they all gobbled them down so fast there was no time for another chick to grab so I offered them to my 4 day old chicks and keets. The Cochins were the first to grab and go and then the keets finally realized what was happening and started getting their share. Still no tug of war though. Blast it!

 

[hannakat]

Quote:
They're easy to buy in bulk online.......