Seems My Chicks LOVE those MealWorms

[capebird]

My 5 Barred Rocks are 2 weeks old. I've tried giving them some
treats (blueberrys, plain yogurt, peach)....all of which they turned
their noses up at. Every once in a while I'd throw an ant in I found crawling
around...and they seemed to like that. Then after reading about mealworms
on the site.... thought I'd give that a try. They went wild... chasing each other
around peeping.... they go crazy for those mealworms! Twice a day I make sure
each one gets a worm. There's one chick that doesn't seem to like them as much....
but the other 4 go nuts over those mealworms.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

My chicks go gaga for just about any type of worm. I decided to take a crack at mealworm farming this year, and found it to be surprisingly easy. My flock definately appreciates the constant supply of mealworms- and its saved me some moola, which is a major plus.

 

[capebird]

that's pretty interesting.... is that a "big production" to farm them?
I'm not even sure I know what a "meal worm" is.....
What's involved in growing them?

 

[Nicole01]

Quote:
I'm interested too. They cost a bit of money for a small container.

 

[gale65]

Do they need grit in order to eat mealworms? Also, do you hand feed them? If not how do you make sure each gets one or two worms each day?

 

[Rachy]

Can I ask, do you feed live or dead mealworms? Are the ones pet shops sell for reptiles ok?

 

[capebird]

I've gotten the live meal worms at the local hardware store that also sells
"bait". Fishermen seem to use them. I payed $2 for 25 worms. Not sure
it that is a lot ... a little or the going price. I try to make sure each bird gets
one... but I have trouble telling who's who at this point. I sometimes hand
feed them to each bird... they just seem to rip them out from my hand. They
really go nuts for these worms..... sometimes I'll just throw it in front of a bird
who I think may not have gotten a worm. It's very entertaining to watch them
run around with the worm, chirping wildly.

 

[silver1313]

I always heard mealworms were hard to raise and do they bite? I know the superworms they sell for reptiles do !!

 

[Nicole01]

Quote:
$2 is a great price. I drove 30 miles to buy mealworms and it was $8.00 for a small container. Not sure what the count of worms were. I never bought any for that price. I suppose I could go to a bait store next time I pass one by. Raising mealworms would be worth a try, if I can handle it. Those worms are kinda gross and freak me out.lol

 

[ChickyLove]

Hmmm, I read this thread and am now thinking it might be a good idea to try to raise my own mealworms. I wonder if compost would produce regular worms and mealworms both? How many mealworms can/should three chickens eat in a day?