- Mar 25, 2012
- 7
- 0
- 7
I just bought 50 mealworms to raise and they are growing fast in a tupperware container near the chicks. I was brainstorming feed efficiency ideas and came up with an interesting plan. Chicks and mealworms both do best in a warm and dry environment, mealworms eat rolled oats and chicks can too, chicks can also eat mealworms. What if I filled my chick raising totes with chopped straw, rolled oats and other chick/mealworm friendly materials and let the mini eco system take its course. I assume with a thick enough layer of bedding the mealworms would breed fast enough for the population to be safe from overgrazing, I could scrape off the top layer of bedding as the chicks sully it with dropping but I am sure the mealworms wouldn't mind the stinky snacks. Obviously I would need to provide grit so the chicks can digest the mealworms properly and a small bowl of feed so that they get a balance of nutrients. I figured that I can put toilet paper rolls or egg cartons to harvest the beetles once the chicks are ready to be outside and just dump the rest of the contents into the hen house and let the ladies go to town. I do have a few kinks to work out:
My current setup allows the chicks to spill and splash water everywhere, does anyone know a way to minimize this problem so that the mealworms don't drown and I won't have to change the bedding as often as I do now?
Does anyone know of other natural materials I can use for bedding diversity? Mealworms are general decomposers so I considered dried leaves from the yard but I worry that the chicks might pick up diseases since they are confined, am I being overly concerned?
I heard a story about a mealworm chewing its way out of a lizards stomach, sounds improbable to me cause of stomach acids but is this possible in a non acidic crop?
Should I set up multiple totes so that the chickens can be switched around when the bedding goes bad or do yall think it would be alright if I just scraped off the top layer? If I should do tote changes how often do yall think I should do it?
Is there a kink in my plan that I am not considering?
I probably won't be starting this plan for a few months, or a year, because I just got the mealworms and I don't have enough but I will keep yall posted if I do go through with it.
My current setup allows the chicks to spill and splash water everywhere, does anyone know a way to minimize this problem so that the mealworms don't drown and I won't have to change the bedding as often as I do now?
Does anyone know of other natural materials I can use for bedding diversity? Mealworms are general decomposers so I considered dried leaves from the yard but I worry that the chicks might pick up diseases since they are confined, am I being overly concerned?
I heard a story about a mealworm chewing its way out of a lizards stomach, sounds improbable to me cause of stomach acids but is this possible in a non acidic crop?
Should I set up multiple totes so that the chickens can be switched around when the bedding goes bad or do yall think it would be alright if I just scraped off the top layer? If I should do tote changes how often do yall think I should do it?
Is there a kink in my plan that I am not considering?
I probably won't be starting this plan for a few months, or a year, because I just got the mealworms and I don't have enough but I will keep yall posted if I do go through with it.
