Feeding chickens mealworms is an easy and tasty way to increase their protein intake and aid egg laying and feather growth. Hens need protein in their diet in order to produce high quality eggs and maintain lush feathers.
Raising mealworms in your backyard is easy using a storage bin equipped with various drawers dedicated to each stage of their lifecycle. To maximize nutrition, only feed your worms at their peak of growth for maximum nutriton.
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They are a good source of protein
Mealworms provide chickens with high amounts of protein, making them essential in improving gut health and lowering levels of bad bacteria in their digestive tracts – two vital benefits that will contribute to improving their overall wellbeing. When fed fresh, mealworms offer enormous advantages for their wellbeing and will benefit your flock’s wellbeing as they gobble them down!
Mealworms can provide an easy and nutritious way to increase protein in a chicken’s diet, particularly during its early development or during its laying season. But eating too many of them could compromise their balance and affect overall performance.
Baby chicks can consume mealworms as soon as they reach three weeks old; otherwise, their digestive systems are still developing and cannot digest the protein effectively. If you want to give your babies mealworms, first rehydrate them completely with their respective rehydrating liquid and soak for 15-30 minutes; they will swell significantly upon being rehydrated!
They are a good source of calcium
Mealworms are high-protein treats packed with calcium, B vitamins and amino acids to promote overall chicken health and immune system wellbeing. Furthermore, mealworms can aid your flock during moulting season as an additional source of nutrition.
Feed mealworms to your flock by scattering a few handfuls in their house bedding and letting the chickens find them themselves. Or add dried worms from your worm bin as an excellent source of protein while simultaneously enriching your garden with fertilizers! Mealworms offer your flock both protein and fertilizers!
Keep in mind, however, that chickens should only consume these treats in small doses; too much could harm their diet and lead to health issues. Therefore, offer these as treats once or twice every week as snacks.
They are a good source of fat
Mealworms provide a fantastic combination of protein, fats and minerals – as well as leucine which aids with tissue repair, as well as lysine which assists calcium absorption – making them an excellent treat for molting chickens when additional protein is needed to regrow feathers.
Mealworms are beetles belonging to the family darkling beetle. Female mealworms lay eggs that hatch into larvae which feed off various sources, including animal wastes, stored grains, leaves and decaying products. As these larvae develop further into pupae – which will later be dried as treats for chickens – mealworms become self-feeding for years before eventually emerging as adult mealworms again as adults.
Mealworms should only be fed in moderation to your flock as too many can disrupt its diet and lead to various health problems in their flock.
They are a good source of fiber
Mealworms are not only entertaining and delicious treats for your chickens; they’re also essential components of their health and immunity. Not only can you grow them yourself or buy them at the store – mealworms make feeding time easy!
Mealworms, the larval form of darkling beetles, provide a great source of protein and nutrition for healthy flocks. Mealworms contain leucine and lysine amino acids which promote tissue regeneration as well as aiding calcium absorption; making them especially helpful during times of stress such as when molting occurs.
Your best options for mealworms are either raising them yourself or purchasing dried mealworms at the store. Dried mealworms may be easier for your chickens to maintain than live ones; however, their nutritional value doesn’t compare as strongly; be wary when feeding your poultry dried mealworms to ensure you don’t overload their protein needs!
