Questions about raising Meal Worms

[Gallo del Cielo]

Very good. I'm much less hands-on than that with my colony, they pretty much take care of themselves. The development is interesting to watch.

 

[featherbaby]

Boo-Boo's Mama :

on a side note: One night my DH was talking to our DS...he told him I had worms. My DS (dear sweet thing

) replied, "Well, tell her to stop biting her fingernails after she has been out in the chicken run!" Just see if he gets anymore free eggs!

THAT'S HILARIOUS!!!!!​

 

[knjinnm]

Quote:
Rather than oyster shells add finely ground egg shells.

Joe

Interesting idea. Here's a link to a study with data using oyster shells: http://www.jstor.org/pss/20096040

Interesting abstract, I will check my local library for the full article.

I use a 20 gallon red wiggler worm bin to dispose of our kitchen food scraps, no meat, including finely pulverized egg shells. I wonder if the calcium fortifies the worms.

Joe

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
Interesting idea. Here's a link to a study with data using oyster shells: http://www.jstor.org/pss/20096040

Interesting abstract, I will check my local library for the full article.

I use a 20 gallon red wiggler worm bin to dispose of our kitchen food scraps, no meat, including finely pulverized egg shells. I wonder if the calcium fortifies the worms.

Joe

Hi Joe, good question. I don't know if it would or not. I have a red wiggler composter too, but my birds don't seem to care for them. Do your chickens like them?

 

[vmdanielsen]

Okay fellow bycers, got my meal worms yesterday(1000) and 3 stackable clear trays from Walmart. Put mealworms with damp paper towel and wheat bran into tray. I told my husband that to have a self sustaining group I have to let some mature and procreate. That is when he panicked and said "we're going to get an infestation!!". Since no one had claimed such a problem I assumed that it wasn't a problem. Am I correct? Also, will I be able to differentiate egg, and pupae? Is there a link or site I can refer to? Any help or suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks
Ginny

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
Congratulations on getting mealworms! You won't have to worry about an infestation in your house. They are unable to climb up the glass walls of an aquarium to escape; I would assume that to be the case as well with a plastic container, but I have don't have personal experience with that. I can say that in over 20 years of raising them, I've never had an escape. You won't be able to see the eggs. You'll definitely recognize the pupae when you see them. I know that some people separate them, but the incidence of cannibalism is so incredibly low in this species (when conditions are maintained properly), that it really isn't necessary. I never separate them and you can see by the colony on my BYC page that it doesn't much impact population growth: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=56638-how-to-raise-mealworms Being a beginner, it's also easier just to leave them be; it's one less thing to worry about. Having said that, someone posted earlier that they separate because they like observing their development and I certainly can understand that, it is pretty cool. Be very careful with the wet paper towel. One only needs to search back through old byc threads a short ways to see lots of stories of people losing most or all of their colony to moisture. It takes shockingly little to spark a fungal or mite outbreak. I don't add any additional moisture at all (beyond that contained in a vegetable) and I live in one of the driest places in the world. Good luck.

 

[knjinnm]

Quote:
Hi,
The chickens will gobble the small worms but the larger worms not so much, I think it's to much work for them to eat a larger worm.
Joe

 

[vmdanielsen]

Quote:
Congratulations on getting mealworms! You won't have to worry about an infestation in your house. They are unable to climb up the glass walls of an aquarium to escape; I would assume that to be the case as well with a plastic container, but I have don't have personal experience with that. I can say that in over 20 years of raising them, I've never had an escape. You won't be able to see the eggs. You'll definitely recognize the pupae when you see them. I know that some people separate them, but the incidence of cannibalism is so incredibly low in this species (when conditions are maintained properly), that it really isn't necessary. I never separate them and you can see by the colony on my BYC page that it doesn't much impact population growth: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=56638-how-to-raise-mealworms Being a beginner, it's also easier just to leave them be; it's one less thing to worry about. Having said that, someone posted earlier that they separate because they like observing their development and I certainly can understand that, it is pretty cool. Be very careful with the wet paper towel. One only needs to search back through old byc threads a short ways to see lots of stories of people losing most or all of their colony to moisture. It takes shockingly little to spark a fungal or mite outbreak. I don't add any additional moisture at all (beyond that contained in a vegetable) and I live in one of the driest places in the world. Good luck.

Thank you Gallo,

I have bookmarked your page for reference. I will add a potato, and remove the paper towel. I think that some people have said that they use non medicated chick starter. Any comments? Bran is not a problem as I buy it by the 50# bag for my horses. I am just curious. How can you tell that the meal worms are benefiting from the oyster shell Ca? I do not doubt that there is an increased benefit (I think that I read results or the study posted here some where) I am interested how I will be able to tell.

Thank you very much,

Ginny

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Without having the worms analyzed, you won't know if they have more calcium or not. I just trust in the data but also provide my chickens with free access to oyster shell. I figure it can't hurt to add it to the worms. I think chick starter and even the crumbly bits left over from layer pellets is great for the worms. I've only been adding it the past couple months, but I think the worms may do better with at least some added in with the wheat bran. Another BYCer is a big advocate of adding chicken feed to the worms and I did a bit of searching and found a study that showed benefits of giving chicken feed to mealworms (I don't remember where I saw it or I'd post the link). Also, you can use a variety of vegetables, e.g. carrots, watermelon rinds, beets, and even some green leafy stuff. Be sure to monitor when you give anything new so that if they don't eat it, you can remove it before it rots. For example, they don't really like eggplants much. Overall, I think a varied diet is better than using only potatoes or carrots. The wheat bran they sell for horses is a great inexpensive source. I think a friend told me he gets it for less than $0.25/lb. here in Tucson and feed is expensive here.

 

[vmdanielsen]

I can't remember what I paid for the last 50#s of wheat bran. Whatever it was I must have thought it was ok or I would have remembered it. While I have not raise MW before, it does make sense to me to feed a varied diet, so they can get the nutrition they need. I will experiment with other veggies as well. i can't blame them for the eggplants. not my favorite either!

Thanks again!
Ginny