Brooding hen has chicks in nesting box

[Luvachicken]

I was thinking of buying a wormery but don't really know where to start.

I quite like the look of the little wooden ones that look a bit a beehive.

I don't have much space but would be able to move it to under my carport in a bad winter. I know the worms don't like getting cold.

I don't have room for a compost heap so thought the wormery would be the best option.

 

Can I put the chicken poo into it ?

What happens to the worms if I went on holiday for a couple of weeks ?

 

Thanks for any help

xxx

Edited January 26, 2012 by Guest

[The Dogmother]

I've had a Can-o-Worms for about 5 or 6 years now and it's fantastic. I have an old dustbin lid on top to stop the rain getting in - the rain cover they supplied was next to useless. It is in a sheltered position and I lag it with bubble wrap every winter; apart from slowing down in the colder months, it still does well and survives being left for about a week.

[sage]

I have a Can Of Worms it spends all year outside even last years -12. Bubble wrap it and it is fine. Never put chicken poo in so wouldn't like to say. I know they don't like citrus or onions.

Left mine for 4 weeks one summer and it was fine.

 

Sage

[Luvachicken]

How much veggie peelings can you fit in over a week ?

Sometimes we have quite a lot and it seems such a shame to put them in the bin - as I do at the moment

[The Dogmother]

Quite a lot; once the wormery is established, the number of worms in it will increase gradually over time to deal with the supply of food. Likewise if you feed less then the population dies down. So any changes need to be made gradually.

 

It will slow down in the winter, so you will need to feed them less.

 

So long as the veg peelings aren't potato, why not liquidise/shred them for the chickens?

[Cranberry]

Wriggley Wrigglers have improved the lid of can-o-worms and it is now water proof. They also do a larger square one. They give very good advice for starting up and I think they may also do the bee hive. You really need to have a stack of shelves so that you can use the bottom shelf with out loosing too many worms and definately make sure there is a tap at the bottom or the worms drown. Definately recomend getting one they are facinating the the chickens love them too!

[The Dogmother]

Mine only needs emptying once or twice a year, any worms still in the bottom layer at that stage get recycled on the compost heaps.

[Sam]

We have one, it's basically just three of these stacked on top of each other. We have an ice cream tub in the kitchen and all suitable things go in there, and then taken out to the worms. Just left them to it, they are quite sheltered behind the shed but haven't needed any special attention in the colder months.

 

We've been on holiday for 2 weeks (can't imagine my brother looked after the worms!!) and they were fine

 

This is what we've got, but just looked at their ebay page and doesn't look like they're in business

[Luvachicken]

 

So long as the veg peelings aren't potato, why not liquidise/shred them for the chickens?

 

 

Not sure why I hadn't thought of that . Probably because my old chickens didn't eat that sort of thing and I just assumed the new girls wouldn't either.

Guess I'm just naughty and used to putting them straight in the bin

 

Thanks for all your replies. I'm going to have a look to see what I can find at the weekend.

I've been wanting a wormery for ages so will let you know........

[Luvachicken]

I have just been looking at wormeries and some of the things people have written about them. Some have said about the number of flies that come. I have enough flies from the chickens, I really don't want to encourage any more.

Do any of you get flies with your wormeries ?

[The Dogmother]

I only get fruit flies and then only in the summer - you can get rid of them though by sprinkling Diatom in the wormery. I definitely don't get any bluebottles. BTW. you can keep the latter away by putting some drops of eucalyptus and citronella oils on some kitchen paper and hanging it from the roof of the run.

[Luvachicken]

I only get fruit flies and then only in the summer - you can get rid of them though by sprinkling Diatom in the wormery. I definitely don't get any bluebottles. BTW. you can keep the latter away by putting some drops of eucalyptus and citronella oils on some kitchen paper and hanging it from the roof of the run.

 

 

Thanks for that Dogmother. I have those oils already for the chickens but the flies still come

[Luvachicken]

I just ordered a lovely blue wooden coated wormery with some Christmas money my parents gave me.

I can't wait for it to come and put it to good use and then get some worm tea for my new apple tree that I ordered with the change