Update for Birds kicking and scratching - very bothered - strange development - need more help

[oregonkat]

I used the rest to start the meal worm colony I have today.

I may have to venture back into this project, it's either meal worms again or soldier fly. I have been buying the Soldier fly larvae for the hens because they are much, much cheaper than the meal worms but there again, it's money honey!!
Do you have several bins going at once? Do you keep your beetles in another bin from the worms?

 

[azygous]

Do you have several bins going at once? Do you keep your beetles in another bin from the worms?

Yes, I keep separate trays for the adult beetles with a screened bottom so eggs fall into another tray beneath. When those hatch, I replace the tray under the beetles.

Those grow out and I then transfer morphed pupae (adults) back into the adult beetle tray.

Here's something I discovered by accident a couple years ago. If I use mill run wheat flour instead of bran, which I now do in every other tray under the adult beetles, the result is larvae that are twice the size of ordinary larvae. I rotate using bran in every other tray because the larvae do not pupate on the mill run because there are natural hormones in it that cause continued growth. The max has been about an inch and a half long and the larvae continue to grow for up to six months, twice as long as normal. I bet they'd sell for more than eight cents each.

 

[oregonkat]

Yes, I keep separate trays for the adult beetles with a screened bottom so eggs fall into another tray beneath. When those hatch, I replace the tray under the beetles.

Those grow out and I then transfer morphed pupae (adults) back into the adult beetle tray.

Here's something I discovered by accident a couple years ago. If I use mill run wheat flour instead of bran, which I now do in every other tray under the adult beetles, the result is larvae that are twice the size of ordinary larvae. I rotate using bran in every other tray because the larvae do not pupate on the mill run because there are natural hormones in it that cause continued growth. The max has been about an inch and a half long and the larvae continue to grow for up to six months, twice as long as normal. I bet they'd sell for more than eight cents each.

And you don't feed them anything else? No kitchen scraps etc? That was one of the difficulties that I had with my batches was sorting out the best things to feed them. If I can just feed them one thing, then that is a whole different thought process!

 

[aart]

mill run wheat flour

This term sent me googling...interesting.
Mill Run
aleurone

@azygous do you get it at a feed mill..large quantities...storage???

And you don't feed them anything else? No kitchen scraps etc? That was one of the difficulties that I had with my batches was sorting out the best things to feed them. If I can just feed them one thing, then that is a whole different thought process!

The need moisture I used carrots in summer and apples in winter.



Grew mealworms for a few years, gave it up and just left the bins sitting...
...couple years(yes, years) later dumped them all and found a beetle and a couple larvae.

 

[oregonkat]

found a beetle and a couple larvae.

Nature will find a way!!
In the link to the mill run, did you notice the 'reduces the incident of gizzard erosion in poultry'? Gizzard erosion??? What the heck is that? Too much grit?
It looks like pretty good stuff. I suppose that all those nice nutrients would transfer to the worms and then to the hens, yes?