Mealworms/Grubs Question

[CluckkyKrista]

A few cautionary tales:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-why-you-should-exercise-your-birds.1445968/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ts-story-please-dont-overfeed-treats.1593329/

Thanks so much. Read both articles and it’s great to have a fuller appreciation of why this is so important!

 

[Perris]

Maybe a silly question, but what happens to chickens if they eat too many mealworms? Or get too much fat in their diet? Are there signs to look out for?

you might find this thread useful, especially the first post
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...rad-views-on-nutrition.1567953/#post-26615525

 

[Perris]

Further, specifically on mealworms, here is what I wrote in an article here on BYC:

Mealworms are often labelled as ‘treats’ on BYC and some influential people here assert, without citing any supporting evidence, that such treats should not constitute more than 10% of the diet. (As far as I can ascertain, this so-called ‘10% rule’ is just hearsay.) In fact, giving sick birds a relatively large portion of live mealworms is supported by published academic research: “High fat/low moisture content insect larvae may, however, be appropriate as part of a mixed diet or as the main component of a diet for an unhealthy animal where the primary nutritional goal is to increase energy intake” Finke 2015, emphasis added.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...eat-tears-a-calculator-or-deep-pockets.78655/

 

[Perris]

As they grew in their brooder, for a treat and to keep them entertained I’d give them moist mealworms in a treat ball. They went insane for them. Just absolutely loved them. Over the last two weeks I’ve been trying to introduce them to the dried mealworms and dried grubs. They aren’t interested in either. They pick them up and then just drop them. These are obviously much more readily available and less expensive than the moist kind.

It costs next to nothing to keep a mealworm farm and grow your own fresh, moist mealworms, if you don't mind handling 'creepy crawlies'. I have a thread about that too, linked in the references in the article just cited.