emchook Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 In the last few days I have been feeling very guilty about not letting the chooks FR unsupervised ..and to be honest that means no FR at all at the moment. So I have been thinking about buying them some mealworms as a treat. HOW EXPENSIVE ARE THEY?? I just spotted this on the RSPB site.. http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds/feeding/whatfood/mealworms.aspx Has anyone had a go at this ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharLeila Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 Hmm, just read it. Sounds interesting but a lot of hassle. Think I might wait for someone to try it first and hopefully tell us how easy it is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 There was a recent thread on this with some good info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigmommasally Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 I've been breeding them since last summer/autumn. It has been easy but takes much longer between getting the beetles and eggs hatching than expected. We put a bowl of what we thought was waste aside in the garage, found it 2 months later with lots of baby meal worms wriggling around. I'm just coming to the end of the last lot that hatched and now waiting for the beetles to lay eggs and for them to hatch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikey Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 I got some from pets at home £2.29 for a small tub (about same size you get take away curry in). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzy Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 I used to buy them at Homebase and was increasingly stunned at the cost (£15.99 for a 2l tub) so I looked on ebay and you can get twice that amount for a lot less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Kate Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 fishing shops do them dirt cheap so if you have one near you try there. my OH fishes and keeps loads of mealworms around. or rather, he DID until i started feeding them to the girls... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharLeila Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 ok, I think I'm going to try this. Got my tin (ex cadbury's hero's tin from xmas), just need some mealworms. Pets at Home didn't have any today. I'll keep you updated on the progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 I did for several years. Produced enough for the wild birds, but when the chickens arrived I needed more. I was OK for quite some time, but gradually built up an allergy to the dust that they give off (yep, they have to be poo cleaned too) and in the end I was wearing goggles and a mask otherwise it set of an asthma attack. I just get the dried ones now - and it's so much better for me healthwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharLeila Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 are live ones better for chickens though? Surely live ones have more protien than dried? Not too worried bout the poo, so long as its not chicken sized! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 I would agree that live ones probably are better - and they way they go for them and scratch around when the worms try to escape is fun to watch. The dry ones are like crisps - a tasty snack. There's always tuna for the extra protein - which I give mine now and again (especially when they can't go out grubbing in this weather). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevtheplumber Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 just breed worms, get a bucket and fill it with torn up wet newspaper and food veg s"Ooops, word censored!"s, add as many worms as you can and leave it for a week, they will double, forgot about it myself, im off to get a little wormery started Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 That might be because they include some teeny babies. They pupate and then turn into little black beetles. They will need to be separated because they are all little cannibals. So I used to have several tubs going. One for the beetles (very randy they are), then I move the beetles into another box so that the eggs hatch. Then separate the larger ones from the small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubababe Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 hmmmmm not sure I have time to pfaff around. Me thinks a visit to a fishing shop is on the cards...I think there is one in Long Eaton & a purchase of some meal worm & maggots in order Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
