It takes a few months for the mealworms to reproduce, so this population will get depleted at first. Just a few mealworms really go a long way! Place at least 2 dozen mealworms in the container to start your colony. You don’t have to worry about the mealworms trying to crawl out of the container. You know what would make a cool pet? 13. Molting can be a stressful time in a chicken’s life – but it’s necessary. If heat is problematic, you can always supplement with a heat mat designed for reptiles or other animals. Eggs and Meat Productions: What You Need to Know as a Chicken Owner, Raising Rabbits for Profit: 7 Ways to Make Extra Money with Rabbits. The exact amount of substrate you need will vary depending on the container size. You will make them very happy and it is very inexpensive if you grow the mealworms yourselves. You need a container; I prefer 10 gallon aquaria. Sunflower seeds are rich in linoleic acid and pet chickens love to eat them. You will need a minimum of 500 mealworms to begin with. It will allow you to separate out the mealworms at the various stages, as they will simply move among drawers when the time is right. Press lightly down – don’t squeeze out all the oxygen. How To Raise Mealworms For Chickens Now it’s time to reap the rewards. Everyone who has a small flock of chickens should raise mealworms, not because they need them, but because they love them. The cover is merely designed to keep potential pests out. Whether you’ve noticed a drop in egg production or your chickens are just looking a bit more lethargic than normal lately, it might be time to up their protein intake. #backyardchickens #chickens #raisingchickens #mealworms #thehensloft Scientifically, mealworms are known as tenebrio molitor. You can drill holes using a thin drill bit, roughly ⅛”. Mealworms are easily digested and should be given in the morning or earlier in the day. Once you have your container picked out, make sure it is clean and dry. To do this, gently pour them out and put your cover on the container. 1. Raise Mealworms. They need protein for regular and consistent egg laying as well as for laying healthy bulky eggs. Mealworms … It should be under $5 for 100 mealworms locally. It can become quite expensive to constantly buy mealworms, so you might want to grow your own. Next, you’ll want to pick out a location for your mealworm container. What is a Queenless Hive and What Can You Do to Fix It? Glow Worms. Don’t use these for your mealworm farm. There are 2 methods of harvesting that we employ to not only gather worms for feeding to the chickens but also ensure we have a continuous supply of mealworms … Plus, you don’t ever truly know where your storebought mealworms are coming from. Start growing your own mealworms today – for a few minutes of time each month and minimal investment, you’ll have an unending supply of snacks for your laying hens. This will allow you to continue adding food every few weeks without having to disturb your mealworms. In fact, using mealworms is a great way to train your chickens to go into their coop, it’s how I did it. People who keep chickens, turkeys, geese, or ducks will easily benefit from growing their own supply of these tasty treats. You should only remove pieces of mold or moldy food. Hello, we provide concise yet detailed articles on "Chicken Choices: How To Grow Mealworms For Chickens" topic. I am always trying to cut costs on the homestead. You can save yourself money by raising mealworms at home. Here are some options when it comes to food to feed your mealworms: Keep an eye out for potential issues in the container, such as mildew or mold growth. 12 Steps of Breeding Mealworms for Chicken Food Fill your bottom drawer with the edible bedding (I used a combination of whole wheat flour and oats because it’s what I had on hand and didn’t want to go to the store to buy wheat bran). Mealworms will help your chickens get through the molting season; During the molting season, it’s very important that all chicken owners increase the protein intake of their chickens. Now it’s time to add your mealworms. Sure, they might not look very appealing, but these tasty morsels will improve the overall health of your flock. When you find the article helpful, feel free to share it with your friends or colleagues. Invest in one of those standup plastic set of drawers. Breeding Mealworms for Chickens. This occurs at about three months. After you’ve purchased your mealworms and made sure they are healthy, you can go ahead and add them to your container. Plus, you’ll want to let any visitors you have over know that there are mealworms in the closet if they are particularly squeamish! The top drawer will have the plastic bottom removed and replaced with a screen this will allow the beetle eggs to fall through the drawer. Put your sunflowers to good use! Step 5: Feed Them and Let Them Grow. When molting season comes up, they will also need extra protein to help them grow new feathers faster. So you have decided to ‘grow your own’ or have found a reputable source of mealworms for your flock. It will keep them entertained for hours! If you’re planning on using the deep litter method of bedding your coop – or if you want to encourage your chickens to scratch and to find their own grit – mealworms are a great aid. The Benefits and Concerns of Raising Turkey Poults with Chickens, Chicken Breeds That Lay Blue, Green, Pink, White, and Other Egg Colors, 20 DIY Chicken Brooders from the Low Cost to the Beautiful and Durable, The Complete Guide to Raising Healthy Ducks for Beginners. Here are some of the major benefits of growing your own mealworms and feeding them to your chickens. Read on to find out why mealworms are important to your chickens. Keep the container in a warm area and replace the vegetables every couple of days. Each year, your birds will need to shed their feathers and put on new ones. It should be under $5 for 100 mealworms locally. So, to recap, here’s how to build mealworms house: Get a 3-drawer storage container; Cut the bottoms out of the first two drawers; Staple the wire mesh on the open space; Duct tape the drawers to keep the light out; Fill each drawer with oatmeal; Start your mealworms … Before you can get started you need to find a container in which you can grow your mealworm farm. Don’t worry about removing dead beetles, the larvae will do that for you. This will make for easier maintenance. Just a few mealworms goes a long way. You can grow your own for a fraction of the cost. Alternatively, you can just feed the vegetables covered with mealworms – they’ll enjoy crunching on that treat, too! About Easter Egger Chickens: Friendly, Colorful Egg Layers, Common Bee Problems, Pests, and Diseases, and How to Fix Them, Why the Icelandic Sheep is Perfect for Homestead and Small Farms, The Pros and Cons of Keeping a Rooster in Your Flock, How to Prevent and Treat Life-Threatening Bloat in Sheep, Cayuga Duck: Shiny Green Beauties Laying Dark Colored Eggs, What to Consider When Raising Sheep and Goats Together, Houdan Chicken: Fancy Egg Layers and Quality Meat Producers, Cut the bottoms out of the first two drawers, Duct tape the drawers to keep the light out, Start your mealworms on the bottom, move them up when they turn into beetles. Creating a mealworm farm and breeding mealworms for chickens is reasonably straight forward. Take a piece of carrot or another similar vegetable and add it to the container. Adventurous homesteaders can also grow mealworms to eat themselves. Be careful harvesting your mealworms. You can use any of the following options: The main criteria that your container must meet are that it must be about 12” x 24” x12” in size. Before you can grow your own mealworms, you need to have a clear understanding of how mealworms reproduce and grow. Simple. You’ll prep the drawers in more or less the same way. After all, a happy, healthy chicken will lay good quality eggs, and your yield should increase. Mealworms, the larval stage of darkling beetles, are a tasty and nutritious meal for many reptiles, amphibians, birds, and fish. The information here is sourced well and enriched with great visual photo and video illustrations. They just eat your table scraps. It should be made out of a solid material that won’t rot, like plastic or glass. Here’s everything you need to know about these tasty treats (for chickens, anyway)! We publish weekly guides and articles written by experienced chicken enthusiasts! This will ensure that no pests are living in the feed. Write us at info(at)knowyourchickens.com with any questions or concerns! When you grow your own mealworms, you will never have to worry about running out or spending money once you get started. Both the pupae and the beetles should be left in the container to continue to reproduce – only feed the actual worms themselves to your chickens. Half an apple, half a potato, a bit of lettuce, cabbage or celery works great. One main benefit meal worms provide to your chickens is protein. It only takes maybe 10 minutes a week to maintain your mealworms (depending upon the size of your colony), and as our colony grows, we always have an endless supply of treats for our chickens! Just a small container of mealworms at the store can cost quite a bit of money – and once it’s gone, it’s gone. Laying hens need about 16% protein each day, while younger birds need even more. 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