Mealworms might not look appealing to us humans, but chickens find them delectable treats! Mealworms provide your flock with extra protein-rich treats for healthy development and aiding molting processes.
For mealworm breeding, either an old fish tank or simple plastic set of drawers from a dollar store can work; in the Ramirez family’s case they use this latter approach with their children running it as their “farm”.
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They are High in Protein
Mealworms provide chickens with an excellent source of protein. Containing roughly 50 percent protein, mealworms make an excellent addition to their diet as they support proper development in chicks and egg laying in adult birds alike. By including mealworms in their daily regiment, mealworms provide another avenue for fulfilling nutritional requirements of their flocks.
Mealworms contain high concentrations of essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals as well as an exoskeleton made up of chitin that helps improve poultry gut health. Mealworms’ nutritional profile provides energy to hens for immune support as well as the energy to produce nutritious eggs for laying.
Mealworms can be especially helpful to chickens during molting season. Molting occurs when your flock sheds their old feathers to grow new ones; this process requires extra protein-rich foods in order to replace any lost feathers; Mealworms provide this extra nutritional support and make the transition smoother for everyone involved.
They Help with Molting
From a chicken’s perspective, dried mealworms resemble crumbly corn chips or tasty pieces of bacon. You can easily find them online or at certain feed or farm-supply stores; once found they can be sprinkled onto the ground or scattered throughout their run if your flock is friendly enough for that approach.
Mealworms can make an effective addition to any flock’s daily protein consumption and especially during molting season, when chickens shed their feathers and require additional protein for regrow.
Mealworms can also be great food sources for baby chicks. Just remember not to feed them before 3 weeks old as their digestive systems may not yet be prepared for such foodstuffs. Instead, begin them off on a mixture of wheat bran or rolled oats (both can be found at most farm supply stores) mixed with chicken mash or cereal crumbs until their digestive systems can handle mealworms properly.
They Are Good for Baby Chicks
Chickens love mealworms, both live and dried, which makes them great snacks for baby chicks. Packed full of proteins and nutrients essential to their development as feathers begin to sprout, they can provide vital boosts during winter when eggs production goes down as their shells strengthen.
Even adult laying chickens can benefit from supplementing their diets with mealworms for extra protein. However, consumption should not exceed 10% as too many could lead to excessive water consumption, diarrhea or wet bedding, which are all potentially unhealthy issues for their hens.
Mealworms are an easy and affordable way to give your flock a special treat every now and then. Packed full of protein, amino acids and other vital nutrients for their wellbeing, many coop owners have noticed thicker and flavorful eggs when feeding their flock mealworms regularly.
They Are Easy to Grow
Mealworms are a favorite among chicken enthusiasts as well as reptile owners and rodent breeders. Easy to cultivate using wheat bran, oatmeal or potato peels as substrate, they’re often available at reptile stores or garden centers.
As soon as your mealworms reach adulthood, they will pupate in the substrate and you can harvest as necessary. Don’t worry about clearing away dead beetles from your farm as the mealworms will take care of this themselves – however do take caution when harvesting lest too many are harvested at once!
Mealworms can be an entertaining treat for chickens. Their fight over them often goes toe-to-toe! Some have reported that their eggs taste better after starting to feed chickens with mealworms regularly – likely because these tasty treats add protein, calcium and phosphorus into their diet – though if fed in moderation mealworms should benefit all chickens.
