Why raise meal worms?

[Laken21]

Hello,
I have just notice some threads about raising meal worms. My feed store has dead ones. I assume you feed the ones you farm alive? What are the benefits, I am also assuming cost is one but maybe not the only?

 

[ChickensRDinos]

The cost is definitely a huge factor. Farming them yourself is extremely inexpensive for lots and lots of worms. You never ever run out and the chickens can eat the bugs at any life stage. I personally think it is sort of fun and interesting science. Also the worm casing and poop are both great compost material.

 

[countrygoddess]

For me it's for sure the cost. A bag or container of freeze-dried ones is over $20 if I want to get enough to feed all my chickens two or three times. For $10 I bought a few containers of live mealworms at the pet store and now each one is a beetle that will lay eggs for hundreds more. I don't think there's a benefit to the chickens' health one way or the other with live vs. freeze dried, but they sure think the live ones are more fun!

 

[Laken21]

Oh I see! You can freeze some for use too. Also I thought they were just a treat- but it seems like some people may rely on them for a main protein source?

 

[bowen012]

For the cost of a 10 oz. jar of Happy Hens Mealworm frenzy, you can buy 1000 live worms (shipping included) that will perpetually produce offspring with very little effort. $15 jars add up over time... Also, just like food for myself (which the eggs become) I like knowing where my food comes from. By farming my own worms, at the most basic level, I can give the best food available (natural, organic, what-have-you) and reduce contaminants, Maybe a bit OCD, but what can you do..

 

[Laken21]

I can dig it..... where do you farm yours?

 

[countrygoddess]

I have mine in a plastic tote (it's probably about 8 quarts or so) with a snap-on lid and I dumped in a bag of 5 grain hot cereal. Every so often I plop in a slice of potato or a baby carrot. I've been too lazy to retrofit the lid with screening, so I just leave it sort of pushed off to the side a wee bit. My husband says I better hope the beetles don't fly. LOL I heard they like dark, so I've got mine in a cabinet with all my knitting. =)

 

[ChickensRDinos]

I have mine in a plastic three drawer bin that I think was made for some sort of crafting. It is in my living room. It certainly is a conversation starter when new people come over.

Bowen made a good point about knowing what they are eating. I feed at organic to my hens and this way I know the mealworms are fully organic as well. I started with 1,000 worms for $7 about 2 years ago.

 

[countrygoddess]

I have mine in a plastic three drawer bin that I think was made for some sort of crafting. It is in my living room. It certainly is a conversation starter when new people come over.

Bowen made a good point about knowing what they are eating. I feed at organic to my hens and this way I know the mealworms are fully organic as well. I started with 1,000 worms for $7 about 2 years ago.

Oh! I like the three-drawer bin idea! I've got one of those. If I transferred them in, I could grow a lot more and they wouldn't be as crowded. And yes, knowing what they're eating is a bonus. I make my own organic, non-GMO chicken feed because my family and I DO NOT do soy and the soy in commercial chicken feed is found in their flesh and eggs. The hot cereal I use is organic and 5-grain as opposed to the 7-grain I also found at the store because the 7-grain included soy.

 

[Laken21]

Well seems like I am about to become a meal worm farmer! My gals (lets hope they are gals!) are 5 weeks and the rest are 2-4 weeks, when should they start eating these. I am also still a little unclear about if they are treats or a source of protein? The feed store I bought the chicks from are seriously letting me down! The basically gave me the medicated starter feed and shoved me out of the door with a " you will be fine!" but I dont want to be "fine" I am trying to give these little beasts my best! Thanks for the help