Mealworm farming

[Gallo del Cielo]

WestKnollAmy, well done!

I think I'm starting to love the idea of feeding them their vegetables on top of news paper after seeing your pictures. It looks like it's working very well in your colonies. I can see it's value in keeping moisture low in the substrate, helping monitor feeding of veggies and making clean-up easy. I think I'm going to try it! Your chickens are fortunate that you are so skilled at mealworm farming.

 

[Cakela]

So my DB was less excited about getting the worms when he found out they had to be in the house... too bad we already ordered them!

also, a question, do you feed mealworms alive? baked? dried? Does it matter?

 

[simplyscrambled]

Oh, alive is easiest! Just pluck out of the drawer/container, and the chickens mob you ~ at least that's what happens here.

 

[Kassaundra]

I don't have enough to feed yet, but am going to feed alive. That's how I feed the b. dubia's, they love it. The only reason I can see for freezing or drying would be if you were only going to seasonally grow the mealies, but I plan on growing them year round to have a constant supply.

 

[hannakat]

Quote:
You can feed them in any form. My chickadees got freeze dried mealworms all winter and loved them. Right now I have thousands of worms and if I don't freeze a portion, they will all pupate. Not that it's a bad thing but in order to have enough for winter feeding, I have to freeze them when I got em!

Kinda like freezing/canning the excess from your garden.

 

[Kassaundra]

Quote:
You can feed them in any form. My chickadees got freeze dried mealworms all winter and loved them. Right now I have thousands of worms and if I don't freeze a portion, they will all pupate. Not that it's a bad thing but in order to have enough for winter feeding, I have to freeze them when I got em!

Kinda like freezing/canning the excess from your garden.

Guess "surplus" depends on how many hungry eager beaks you are attempting to feed right?

I can't imagine any world where I would have suplus w/ 20 - 30 chickens (20 now, hopefully 30 by next year) but here's to hoping for a surplus

 

[Cakela]

Alright, live sounds best then until I start freezing them for winter (If I have enough by then, which is doubtful, but hey, who knows?)

My two newest additions will be my first test subjects... was glad to get them young so I can hopefully make them friendly!

 

[Kassaundra]

Quote:
You can feed them in any form. My chickadees got freeze dried mealworms all winter and loved them. Right now I have thousands of worms and if I don't freeze a portion, they will all pupate. Not that it's a bad thing but in order to have enough for winter feeding, I have to freeze them when I got em!

Kinda like freezing/canning the excess from your garden.

Are you planning on allowing your colony to go dormant in the winter? Growing them in the house seems like they would grow at a steady rate year round? Or are you anticipating needing to feed more in the winter do to lack of insects they can get on thier own?

 

[hannakat]

Quote:
You can feed them in any form. My chickadees got freeze dried mealworms all winter and loved them. Right now I have thousands of worms and if I don't freeze a portion, they will all pupate. Not that it's a bad thing but in order to have enough for winter feeding, I have to freeze them when I got em!

Kinda like freezing/canning the excess from your garden.

Are you planning on allowing your colony to go dormant in the winter? Growing them in the house seems like they would grow at a steady rate year round? Or are you anticipating needing to feed more in the winter do to lack of insects they can get on thier own?

Dormant? Don't know how to make a mealworm colony stand still except for lowering the temps and I'm not doing the refrigerator thing anymore. I do expect my colonies to continue as they have since they are indoors. My chickadees free range part of the day now and are able to find their own bugs so it's mainly a supply for winter since there are no insects available for several months out of the year.

The worms in the 3-drawer colony are the ones pupating already and I have a few hundred pupae put aside to morph into the new generation of beetles for in the top drawer.

My single bin colony will be allowed to develop as it will, without much interference except for the harvesting of the excess worms for this winter's supply.

I don't anticipate keeping the 3-drawer colony for more than another generation, just cause I'm still learning. After that, everything will be combined in the single colony and maybe 20 years from now I will also have the same container thriving and supplying the worms like Gallo del Cielo! It's not my intention to make it harder than it needs to be but knew that the 3-drawer setup would allow me the observation opportunity I wanted.

 

[DMRippy]

OMG!!!! They are all changing at the same time!!!! Should I throw the meal worms that are left in the fridge? That would mean I would have to pick the all out again

I got sick of picking out the pupae so I just put everybody in one bin. Water options somebody give me some better ideas. They don't seems to like potatoes and carrots what else can I give them that will not mold.

Speaking of pick out pupae... I don't think I like oatmeal, the pupae are the same color!!!! I am converting the whole thing to barley! Feeding the old stuff to chickens...maybe they will find a worm