Mealworm farming

[Kassaundra]

dlee sounds awesome!!!!

 

[chickens? not yet]

Quote:
I have found it helpful to put crumbled up (not wadded up) newspaper on top of everything being certain that the newspaper is not touching the top or the worms will crawl out! The newspaper seems to help keep warmth inside and it also provides "secret" places for the worms and good adhesion for the beetles to lay their eggs. When I am rooting around trying to put feed onto the plastic lids, I try to be careful not to overdo on disturbing the residents of the newspaper.

When I got my worms in the mail it had newspaper crumbled up and it was full of tiny little holes so I'm sure they were eating it, do you think that would be bad for them to eat? Thanks

 

[Kassaundra]

chickens? not yet :

Quote:
I have found it helpful to put crumbled up (not wadded up) newspaper on top of everything being certain that the newspaper is not touching the top or the worms will crawl out! The newspaper seems to help keep warmth inside and it also provides "secret" places for the worms and good adhesion for the beetles to lay their eggs. When I am rooting around trying to put feed onto the plastic lids, I try to be careful not to overdo on disturbing the residents of the newspaper.

When I got my worms in the mail it had newspaper crumbled up and it was full of tiny little holes so I'm sure they were eating it, do you think that would be bad for them to eat? Thanks​

I've got cardboard type egg cartons in mine and they have eaten many hole and they crawl through them all the time, haven't noticed any problems.

 

[dlee]

Quote:
Well you are in good company, except I never had any IRA's courtesy of well, let's just call it life.
Is there a self-sufficiency thread on here anywhere? I have 1/3 of an acre. I keep ponds, have one wimpy little 15 watt solar panel, plus regulators and a couple of batteries, want to rig cables to connect more than one battery, want off-grid backup power.

I am very interested in what you are doing with the gasifier, and I bet I'm not the only one, especially with the state of the Texas power grid in winter.

There are several off-grid power sites on the internet. None are cheap though. Look up gasifiers & you'll find some u-tube videos showing how to.
Now all my wife & I have is 8 acres, 2 mules, 60 chickens & my S.S.I. monthly check.

Never been happier. Check out (www.gekgasifier.com). I should be able to save enough to buy one in 6 to 8 months. The batteries would be next after that. At the rate I'm going I should get it all together before I reach 90 years old.

No, really I should have it all in about a year. I'm just doing all I can to save money in any way I can.

 

[kuntrychick]

I got some more mealworms today (just a few compared to the quantity yall get...500). Do I just put them in there with my other ones substrate & all or sift through them?

 

[dlee]

Quote:
I forgot to tell you more about the mice.

I set 6 regular mouse traps around the worm box & every mouse I catch ( many) I throw them over to my chickens & watch them fight for them. I also stick a water hose down mouse holes in their coop & as the mice run out the chicks go crazy catching them. They love mice almost as much as the mealies.

 

[Gypsi]

Quote:
I forgot to tell you more about the mice.

I set 6 regular mouse traps around the worm box & every mouse I catch ( many) I throw them over to my chickens & watch them fight for them. I also stick a water hose down mouse holes in their coop & as the mice run out the chicks go crazy catching them. They love mice almost as much as the mealies.

Here I was protecting my chicks from mice and rats. Sounds like rat protection might be needed, but they can handle their own mice!

 

[dlee]

Quote:
I used to watch over my mealies several times a day but now that I'm raising so many I just make sure they have enough food & forget all the rest. They are doing great & having lots a babies. The wheat bran slowly turns to a powder, I guess they eat it & that's what's left, then just add more. I guess I'll have to change it all out sometime. Many other mealie farmers do lots more than I do but with all my other work around here I get kind a lazy.

 

[dlee]

Quote:
I forgot to tell you more about the mice.

I set 6 regular mouse traps around the worm box & every mouse I catch ( many) I throw them over to my chickens & watch them fight for them. I also stick a water hose down mouse holes in their coop & as the mice run out the chicks go crazy catching them. They love mice almost as much as the mealies.

Here I was protecting my chicks from mice and rats. Sounds like rat protection might be needed, but they can handle their own mice!

Ha! Ha! They love the mice, I'm glad I have them ( spending less on food ). Thank God we have no rats...Well, some two legged ones around.

The coop has a dirt floor & I guess the mice eat some a their food but that makes them fatter for the chicks.

 

[chickens? not yet]

Quote:
When I got my worms in the mail it had newspaper crumbled up and it was full of tiny little holes so I'm sure they were eating it, do you think that would be bad for them to eat? Thanks

I've got cardboard type egg cartons in mine and they have eaten many hole and they crawl through them all the time, haven't noticed any problems.

I should have said the ink is what my concern was. Thanks