Raising feeder insects?

[RachelsaurusRexU]

You can do a google search or search just about any reptile forum for roach colony/ habitat. If they are well fed and kept warm they will multiply at an alarming rate LOL There are so many variations and way's to work it. Egg crates or some other surface area is a requirement no matter what size container you keep them in.

Cool, I'll do some more research. I'm not toooo worried about them being so prolific. I'm sure my chickens would be delighted to take care of the extras! Plus, like you said, I could always share with local reptile keepers.

[RachelsaurusRexU]

Jon and I are raising meal worms for the chickens. They're super easy, but do take a long time to establish a rotating colony that is self sustaining.

We bought 500 meal worms, three shoe box sized containers with lids, and wheat middlings for their substrate/food.

Put a little substrate in each, the most in with the worms for now. The other two boxes will stay empty until the worms pupate into pupa. Once they pupate you put the pupa in the second container. Then those pupa become beetles. Put the beetles in the third container.

We put fresh veggie slices for hydration and food for the worms and beetles, pupa hardly need anything while they're dormant (just one slice of potato or something to provide minimal moisture).

The beetles will eventually lay eggs (up to 50 each) so a few weeks after putting them in their own container you have to pull them out or they're going to eat the baby worms.

A full life cycle has taken about three months. All 500 original worms are now beetles laying eggs. And now we have thousands of baby worms growing. We will keep about 1500 worms as our new colonies and the rest will become chicken treats.

Hmmmm perhaps I'll do something like this on a smaller scale. What do you do with the beetles?

[maplewood]

Hmmmm perhaps I'll do something like this on a smaller scale. What do you do with the beetles?

The beetles die :( You're bird might eat them... But they are too crunchy for the lizards here.

[Tobi]

Hmmmm perhaps I'll do something like this on a smaller scale. What do you do with the beetles?

They die after 2-3 weeks usually, if they don't die within like 2 weeks, take them out and feed them to whatever you're feeding the worms to if they will have them to prevent them from eating everything.

[RachelsaurusRexU]

I shall feed them to the garbage disposals otherwise known as chickens.

[Tobi]

I shall feed them to the garbage disposals otherwise known as chickens.

I truly can't wait until we get ours... i'll feel so much better not letting little bits of lettuce, and tomatoes go to waste... well essentially anything else as well