Tired of over priced feed!!!

[JB8907]

I'm tired of over priced organic feed. So I've decided to build a fodder and mealworm system to go in a small area. Who has done this successfully. I want it to look nice so if you have pics or plans please share. I'm fairly mechanically inclined so it doesn't have to be super simply. I'll post the pics of my progress as I go in this thread once I start.

 

[paneubert]

How big do you want to go for the worms? I have seen some pretty substantial drawer system mealworm farms that use shallow black concrete mixing tubs for the drawers. They built their own rack. If you want it to look nice then you could make the rack nice stained wood, make a front to cover it, etc....

 

[Fishkeeper]

Sounds like a good plan, just remember that you're growing supplemental food and they'll still need a good poultry diet.

 

[JB8907]

Sounds like a good plan, just remember that you're growing supplemental food and they'll still need a good poultry diet.

Mine free range what else should I feed them?

Edit: My birds easy all the table scraps just about... Except for bread and pasta as much as I can prevent and onions.

 

[JB8907]

How big do you want to go for the worms? I have seen some pretty substantial drawer system mealworm farms that use shallow black concrete mixing tubs for the drawers. They built their own rack. If you want it to look nice then you could make the rack nice stained wood, make a front to cover it, etc....

Big enough to feed my 20 chickens 10 guineas and I'll have about 20 poults at the end of the month.

 

[Fishkeeper]

You should feed them poultry feed. Homemade recipes are extremely difficult to get right, and just a bunch of plant sprouts and mealworms definitely won't do the trick. Fodder and worms can be a supplement to get them to eat less feed, but they should still have it provided.

 

[paneubert]

This guy has a large setup. If you want to make yours look nice, you could do something similar to what he has, but with nicer looking framework and maybe a solid front that hinges open? It would NOT need to be as large as his. His is massive.

Another option is just to get a classic Rubbermaid/Sterilite brand plastic storage drawer system. Those won't be customable, but they are an "all in one" package that you would not need to modify.

 

[Al Capon]

I'm tired of over priced organic feed.

Why not used regular feed?

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Organic is a marketing ploy, has been from the beginning.

 

[JB8907]

Why not used regular feed?

Price.