Mealworm farming

[Chickangel79]

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x2 cool pic

Hehe I found an egg ! I have at least one potential worm!

 

[Kassaundra]

A couple of questions for everyone participating on this thread to give all of us an idea of the size colony we each need to maintain to meet our individual goals.

1. How many chickens are you trying to feed w/ your worms.

2. Are you going to use as a treat, or main protien source.

3. How many mealies are you feeding out per day or week or what ever you are doing.

4. How big is your colony/s. Like how big is the container/s and how full since most of us have no way of knowing how many mealies.

5. What are you feeding them?

6. At what temp / condition are you keeping them?


I'll start us out.

1. Right now 20, but next year I am planning to expand to 30.

2. As a supplement, (more then a treat, but I am working on several varied protein sources and am to "chicken" not to leave out layer pellets free choice"

3. None right now my colony is just starting and way to small. That is what I am trying to figure out how large a colony you need to feed out "X" amount of mealies and keep your colony stable.

4. My current container is 7 in deep, 12 in wide, 17 in long. I started w/ 200 or so mealies about a month ago. Now I have adults, pupa, and a few of the original mealies that haven't pupated yet. No babies that I can see yet. It is no where near full, like I said just starting out.

5. They are in a bed of layer pellets and crumbles, but I am intrigued by the dirt option, if I have problems w/ moths I will switch to that. I put either celery, carrots, or potatoes. Since the poster mentioned they eat decaying leaves I put some spinach mustard I grew in the garden today to see how they liked it, I was already getting some for the girls so just threw it in the bin to see what would happen.

6. Mine are kept in a spare room in the house in darkish conditions at about 78 degrees.





If anyone can think of other questions that would be helpful please add them.

 

[BellevueOmlet]

I have had beetles for 3 months and still no baby mealies. The weather has been warm so I am getting inpatient. When will they make me some babies?

 

[DMRippy]

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[Kassaundra]

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I'll add those.

 

[steedchristopher]

Just when I think I've read everything about raising my chickens.. now I have to start a mealworm farm!

 

[In His Service]

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[Chickangel79]

Ok,

1. Approx 25.

2. TReats

3. None yet until they all become worms again lol

4. Two tiers, bottom is approx 2ft long, 1 ft wide and 7 inches deep. Top one is glued to bottom with mesh between and is approx 1.5ft long x 1ft wide and 12inches high.
I bought about 2000 worms, and I guess about 50-60 odd beetles !

5 living in bran and oats dating carrots when they can be bothered. They die on potatoes and seem to be fussy eaters.

6. In my bedroom, covered up with a towel to make it dark, at about 68.f

 

[TerryLou]

1. How many chickens are you trying to feed w/ your worms. 7

2. Are you going to use as a treat, or main protien source. Supplement

3. How many mealies are you feeding out per day or week or what ever you are doing.gereally the dead ones until the "farm" gets going

4. How big is your colony/s. Like how big is the container/s and how full since most of us have no way of knowing how many mealies. Approx 1000 to start...

5. What are you feeding them? rolled oats - bran- veggies

6. At what temp / condition are you keeping them? Room temp - in the house - air on -not high, 75ish

 

[greenkjb]

Sorry if this is already in this thread, but since there are 117 pages I thought I would just ask. About how long do you start seeing worms after your beetles have been hatched. I've seen many different answers and was just wondering what anyone's experience has been. BTW, my beetles are on a low heat heating pad which should probably speed the process up right?
Thanks for any advice!