Mealworms- are yours alive or dead?

[Christie Rhae]

I make my girls an oatmeal/kitchen scraps slop every night. Once in a while as a treat I buy meal worms from Petco and dump some into the slop. It is usually a little warm because of the oatmeal and the meal worms start flipping all over the place and it is reallllly gross!!!

But they LOVE it. lol.
I found that when my chicks were young they did not have quite as broad food preferences as they do now. I once read about someone giving their hens a lettuce leaf as a treat so I gave lettuce to my 6 weeks old and they just ignored it. I gave them black oil sunflower seeds and they would not eat them unless I opened them. Now (10 mo. old) they go crazy for just about anything I give them. A hand full of BOSS scattered on the ground is a feeding frenzy. lol Seems like their taste buds mature and they love everything.

 

[2overeasy]

My grown flock free range over 10 acres, but my 8 week old chicks are in a 10X10 enclosure. Of course, they've totally picked it to the dirt. I've tried everything for treats: diced tomatoes, dried mealworms, cracker crumbs, lettuce, cabbage, canned veggies like green beans, fruits like grapes, etc. They don't seem very interested in much of anything I give them, not even scratch feed. One website said to make a treat of mixed cheerios, raisins, oatmeal, and peanuts. I did that - not interested. I bought live bait worms and they weren't sure what to do with them so they ignored them. However, at the same bait store I bought about 20 crickets and they went NUTS!
They are 8 weeks old today so I just let them out for a supervised forage into the woods adjacent to their pen. So I'm sitting in the woods with my computer! 1/2 of them (there are 10) have come out and the other half are still walking the fence line wondering how to get out, too! I have four 5 week old chicks that a hen hatched out and raised and they are running the woods, too. Maybe they'll show the others what to do, even though they are smaller.
But definitely try the crickets. What a hoot!

 

[Kaugomu]

Any pet supply (PetSmart, PetCo, Pet Supplies Plus, etc.) store should carry them, you just may have to ask since they are usually kept refrigerated in the big chain stores. Just make sure to get small works, the mega or king mealworms if feed to chicks can cause damage if you don't cut off their heads first (eww) according to other threads I've read here.

 

[tclegg]

I am not a girlie girl either---when I was younger---like 5 yrs ago (((cough cough laugh--laugh))))Im 42...LOL I thought I was I have a twin I thought she was the tomboy and I was prissy (yeah right???!!)...but I do more on boyish side than she does now...LOL..But I fish with meal worms hunt clean, skin do it all--in fact--she does hunt squirrel but gives to my family to clean and eat..I clean hunt and eat squirrel, turkey and deer, fish...anything in season....(Sorry if I offend anyone--but my family depends on hunting season in my state---just the way I was brought up). But I found my chicks at 3 weeks just was not ready for treats...I have tried a few diff things and they just aren't interested...Like kids they are ready when ready..tried yogart...plain sugar free...ripe mushed banana...and cooked oatmeal..a few pecked but nothing...So I would do what you do with your child what a few and try again...just happens...probley get the "taste" for something soon"

 

[tclegg]

I forgot to add though when I do take a life I do thank it for its life and energy for my family and pray over the body to Jesus for Blessing my family...--just the Indian in me and the thanks that I feel I know I need to give...I am not cold harden..We do not hunt if it is not needed...

 

[screager312]

I just hit jackpot. I found a guy that is selling out over 20k mealworms for $ 35