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[Old Speckled Hen]

I've just paid 18.52 + VAT for 2kg which I though was good value but I may be wrong.

My chooks and the wild birds get through loads.

Where do you get your mealworms from and how much are they/

[Dodge]

That's a very good price, I pay £57-00 including postage for 5kg off e-bay.

My girls and our robin can't get enough of them.

[The Dogmother]

Depends on whether you're buying dried or live worms.

 

Dried ones taste nice to the birds but don't have much nutritional value at all. Bit like us eating crisps really

[Old Speckled Hen]

Depends on whether you're buying dried or live worms.

 

Dried ones taste nice to the birds but don't have much nutritional value at all. Bit like us eating crisps really

 

Ugggh too squeamish to deal with wrigglies

Everywhere I look for mealworms says that the nutritional value is maintained when freeze drying.

Is that wrong?

[sandyhas3chucks]

£29.50 for 3 kg here.

http://www.wildbirdfood.uk.com/cgi-shl/os000004.pl?ACTION=Start

Approx £10 per kg then

[Aggienator]

You could also breed your own: http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds/feeding/whatfood/mealworms.asp

[Old Speckled Hen]

£29.50 for 3 kg here.

http://www.wildbirdfood.uk.com/cgi-shl/os000004.pl?ACTION=Start

Approx £10 per kg then

 

Ah we are on the same website

[sandyhas3chucks]

You could also breed your own: http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds/feeding/whatfood/mealworms.asp

trying that mine are getting to be bettles then dying, not too many of them, been too caught up with ailing chooks to be aring tlc for beetles!!

[The Dogmother]

Depends on whether you're buying dried or live worms.

 

Dried ones taste nice to the birds but don't have much nutritional value at all. Bit like us eating crisps really

 

Ugggh too squeamish to deal with wrigglies

Everywhere I look for mealworms says that the nutritional value is maintained when freeze drying.

Is that wrong?

 

 

That may be right, but I was told otherwise

[alet_chicken]

I'm confused about this too. Every advertisement I see for mealworms says that the nutritional value is maintained when freeze drying. This seems sensible, since freeze drying only removes the moisture, right? However, I have heard from many sources (including some on the forum) that dried mealworms contain no nutritional value, so am not sure what to think.

 

It would be nice if some expert could clarify this for us. To be honest, though, I'm not sure my chickens care as long as they can get their little beaks on some...

[Earl Grey]

Nutritional analysis for dried mealworms:

63% protein

22%oil (fat)

4% fibre

3% ash

(source: side of the container I bought them in.)

 

nutritional analysis for fresh mealworms:

62.44% moisture,

12.72% fat

20.27% protein

1.73% fiber,

1.57% ash

(source: http://www.sialis.org/raisingmealworms.htm)

 

So weight for weight, the nutritional value of dried mealworms is very high in comparison with fresh worms, but comparing a single dried mealworm with a single live mealworm, I would guess they are pretty much the same.

[alet_chicken]

Thanks very much, Earl Grey. The fat:protein ratio (or is it protein:fat? ) is better in dried than fresh mealworms, which sounds good to me. To be fair though, this healthy feature is probably balanced out by the fact that it is oh so easy to give in to their whining for Just! One! More! when it's a dried and not a wriggly one

[sandyhas3chucks]

Thanks very much, Earl Grey. The fat:protein ratio (or is it protein:fat? ) is better in dried than fresh mealworms, which sounds good to me. To be fair though, this healthy feature is probably balanced out by the fact that it is oh so easy to give in to their whining for Just! One! More! when it's a dried and not a wriggly one

only ONE more? you meany

[prudance]

After discovering that I had been seriously overfeeding my chooks with mixed corn for the first two weeks, I've been laying off the treats. I've been giving four young chickens just a handful of dried mealworms, twice a week, and now slightly less than that of mixed corn too.

 

They haven't been interested in most of the kitchen s"Ooops, word censored!"s I've tried them with apart from sweetcorn and broccoli.

 

Am I being too tight with their treats? Can you overdo mealworms or veg kitchen s"Ooops, word censored!"s? Also, noticed that nearly half the mealworms in my tub are just worm shells. The equivalent of discarded snakeskin. Is this normal, or should I be looking for a different supplier?

 

I'm hoping you're going to say I'm too tight because I've got two preschoolers who keep begging me for treats to give them! They resorted to tempting them with clothes pegs and dead worms today.

 

Thanks!

[sandyhas3chucks]

oh dear let them dig up live worms! they love those

[Old Speckled Hen]

oh dear let them dig up live worms! they love those

They'd need a hammer drill to get those in my garden at the moment

[sandyhas3chucks]

i'm confused so where did the dead ones come from, can you buy them?

[alet_chicken]

Hi Prudance, my chickens get a treat every day (at our house it's me that's always looking for something to tempt them with ), either a handful of mixed corn, a handful (if I can restrain myself to only one) of dried mealworms or (when it's cold) a handful of oats. I may be overdoing it, but am working on the principle that they tank themselves up with pellets all day, and the treat is an extra in the afternoon.

 

I have been known to tempt them with pellets on lean days - so if the kids really need to give them something, you could try "watering down" the treats with pellets?

[stoice]

Every advertisement I see for mealworms says that the nutritional value is maintained when freeze drying. This seems sensible, since freeze drying only removes the moisture, right?

 

I'd heard it was the same content, doesn't seem it though when they just flake away when pecked at. I bought some from homebase - the RSPB branded dried mealworms. They said they could also be re-hydrated by soaking them in water if you wanted. Haven't tried it yet but I guess if they re-hydrate ok then all they HAD taken out was the moisture. Grim though!

[nutterly_uts]

I get my mealworms from here.. Not sure what 500ml equates to.. 500g?

I pay £21 for 6 pots from there, and they last ages

 

 

ahem.. forgot the link

http://www.livefoodsdirect.co.uk/Dried-Mealworms-500ml/productinfo/DMW100/