Storms and chickens

[little chickadee]

I've started off my mealworm breeding kit, although to be honest I wouldn't recommend buying the kit, as all you get with the worms is some food and I've been told that you can just give them normal rolled oats and some occaisional pieces of frit/ veg (they eat the oats and get water from the fruit veg) My son is going to be very excited when he gets home but my husband is not impressed as they creep him out!

Will let you know how I get on.

 

 

Edited January 24, 2008 by Guest

[Laura & CTB]

Looks like an interesting adventure - keep us posted as to how it goes

 

Sadly, there would be a divorce in our house if I suggested doing it

[Egluntyne]

Where do you get the kit from?

 

Do they all have names?

[Louise]

eeeuuuuwwwwww

 

They turn into nasty black beetles BTW

 

I remember from when I had an Iguana

[little chickadee]

I got them from www.wigglywigglers.co.uk but I'd just get some live mealworms and start them off yourself. I can let anyone know what it said in the instructions! When they pupate, you put them into a seperate ice cream tub and then put them into another one (with food) when they turn into beetles. etc etc and give them new feed/bedding once a week.

[Egluntyne]

Thanks.

[The Dogmother]

I remember someone else on here tried that before - the smell put them off!

[little chickadee]

No smell yet, I'll just have to see how I go!

[Louise]

The longer you keep them the more the ammonia starts to build up but maybe that was just because I never moved them out of their original boxes

[ubereglu]

Interesting...

 

I don't think I'd want to do that though, knowing my luck I'd drop them on the floor!

[little chickadee]

I'm planning to clear them out once a week with my son, so I'm imagining the smell won't build up then

[Nicola H]

I tried to do this last year and it turned into a big smelly mess, if you let them hatch into beetles they are horrible...........Keep a close eye on it and good luck hope you do better than I did.

[The Dogmother]

It must've been you I remembered then

[Charlottechicken]

I hope no-one mistakes that tub for muesli

[Prongs]

They're yucky - I dont know why anyone would want to breed them!

[little chickadee]

I want to breed them because my chickens adore them and they cost too much to buy!

[Guest]

Lesley-Jean tried too - and failed/gave up!

[redfrock]

I can't even bring myself to buy a tub of the dried ones because they make my skin crawl so the thought of real live ones

[little chickadee]

Hopefully I will triumph where others have failed! I'll give it a go anyway. I've got a very helpful 6yr old to help me!

[Snowy]

A mealworm farm and a 6 year old - yep, I think that will work. I could see it appealing to my 5 year old anyway!

[The Dogmother]

He'd love it Snowy.. that's until his angelic little brother knocked them on the floor

[little chickadee]

I need to point out I'm not planning on farming the little critters to sell, just to give to the chooks! Although my son maybe has bigger ideas!

[BeckyBoo]

Good on you but rather you than me. I can cope with the dead dried ones but I tried to give the girls live ones once and nearly died of the creeps trying to hold the box. Just awful!! Girls loved them and they are horendously expensive, I could NOT have live meal worms in my house. That's like when OH has asked (very rarely) to keep maggots in the fridge.

It sounds like you're planning to keep them even when they turn into bugs?!

 

And if anything turned into a big black beetle in my house, well I have big black boots and I'm afraid (sorry any sensitive souls, veggies or otherwise nice people) I would have to stamp on them (and I HATE killing things!)

 

Mrs Bertie

[little chickadee]

I'm told by the friendly people at wiggly wigglers that the beetles dont' fly and don't even need a lid to the tub (although mine will have as the children might accidently knock them all over the place!)

[Couperman]

  charlottechicken said:

I hope no-one mistakes that tub for muesli

 

Or a tub of 'Car Door' ice!!!scream

 

Kev