Mealworms

[Chagit]

What do you think about replacing Corn Gluten or/and Soybean products with mealworms in the chicken feed (especially meat chickens) ?

- An adult mealworm weights about 100 mg (0,1 gram).

- They have 2,2 feed ratio. (2,2 gr of feed = a gram of mealworm)

- Their favorite feeds are grains. They also need some other feeds such as carrot, potato, apple, etc to ensure a moist environment.

- Their body have about 50% protein and 30% fat ratios. (in larvae, beetle and worm forms)


Replacing;

- 30% of Soybean meal includes 14% protein, we could replace it with 28% mealworms to receive same amount of protein.

- 28% adult mealworms need x2,2 grains.

- Therefore, if we feed chicks with Soybean meal, they cost 40X price. If we feed them with mealworms, they cost X price.


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Note: I made the calculation based on prices in my country, I think its almost same with US prices.
Note: The informations above given about mealworms are not claimed of being absolute true.

 

[eggbert420]

 

[AnnieSantiago]

My mealworms have beetles in there now.
Now what do I do???

 

[eggbert420]

Feed them to your chickens.

 

[Nupe]

Feeding them to your chickens is fine but I believe if you just leave them there, they'll get cannibalized.

 

[AnnieSantiago]

I feed the BEETLES to my chickens??????

 

[Askme42]

I feed the BEETLES to my chickens??????

Yeah. Why not?

 

[Mraya]

If you feed the beetles to the chickens then they will not lay the eggs that would turn into the mealworms .

 

[AnnieSantiago]

If you feed the beetles to the chickens then they will not lay the eggs that would turn into the mealworms .

Exactly, so somewhere on here is set of instructions on how to do this.

 

[abraga]

I pluck out my beetles and pupae and put them in another tray for breeding. I have those plastic storage boxes w 4 pull out drawers. I keep bran, oatmeal, coarse corn meal..old bread, carrots and sweet potatoes in my boxes.ib the beetle box I leave upside down paper egg cartons.the cartons become battle hones After a month..i pick up the egg cartons full of beetles and move them to a new tray. I just keep putting cartons back into the previous container to attract then move adults. Some will die..so I pick those out for the garden compost. I keep a constant supply of trays full of beetles, eggs and worms. I always start my chicks with tiny mealworms and starter mash.gets them eating really quick to. I also use them for sick chickens..somethin about a nice wiggly mealy works wonders for a bird off thier feed. Naturally..my birds enjoy a mealy treat every evening when I Call them in for lockdown!