Mealworms: live vs. dried

[nhbradley]

Yes, I always thought life had much more substance and protein than dried. I just found a woman that sells a kit. Not the little box ones. Her name on messenger is Kristina lynn. Very nice setup easy to use and if I have any questions I can always call her as on my first timer. Well worth the info

 

[nhbradley]

It depends on if you were adding nutrition to the live ones (called a gut load) or not. The dead ones are dehydrated, empty stomach contents (less overall nutrition compared to live/gut loaded) which is how that protein gets so high.

I use the dry as a treat to bring them home easier, but I don't rely on them to be the main protein source because they don't have any other nutrients in them. If that makes sense. You can give live ones a gut load of high protein starter or game feed, and sprinkle with calcium (for reptiles) to give to layers. Then simply serve less of them, to spread your supply a little farther.

If you're raising them they should have gut loads. It's the live ones that are store bought that do not have a gut load.

Or just mix the dried with the live, and give both, reducing what is coming out of your bins.

 

[nhbradley]

Thank you for that information. I have ordered a kit to grow my own. I could add any fruit or vegetable to help them grow. The dry ones are so expensive and with the amount of peafowl I have is not feasible. I'll make sure their guts are loaded, lol

 

[Mommakity]

I used to have a bearded dragon, I fed himlivr meal worms from petsmart! I live pretty far from the closest petsmart, so I decided to grow my own! It wasn’t hard to do!
Very in expensive! Kinda gross! But I had an endless supply of mealworms for Haggrid! I now have chickens, many years later!
I bought live mealworms from petsmart and put them in a plastic bin with some kind of oatmeal, I think! I have to google how to grow them, it’s been awhile! But you wait till the mealworms turn to Beatles! Then they lay eggs that turn into mealworms! I kept two bins one I put large mealworms into for breeding, and the other one for holding mealworms! I also raised crickets for Haggrid.... not ever doing that again! I ended up with crickets everywhere!