How to Start Your Own Meal Worm Farm to Feed Your Chickens (Part 1)

[@LovinofftheLand]

If you are looking to order mealworms and/or beetles for a starter kit, you can contact Christopher here: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100026059613584

[@techmike919]

This is awesome. Thank you for the meal worm videos! With the cost of food rising, and we wanted to be more self sufficient, we wanted to get some chickens going, but also wanted to figure out how to produce our own food for them. We started a large garden last year, so we have plenty of greens. My wife also read that dogs can eat them and enjoy them (we have 2 dogs), since dog food prices have also gone crazy.

[@i.cant.sleep.anymore]

@@techmike919 that's so cool, I didn't know that dogs will also eat mealworms!

[@sallywhitebuffalo5918]

This Facebook profile doesn't reflect any meal worm's looks like.

[@baddog9320]

And if you don't facebook?

[@MysteriaSdrassa]

@@baddog9320 Any pet store sells meal worms for lizards and such

[@edscukas9689]

Black soldier fly larvae are also very good for chickens. they can be fed an assortment of things from coffee grounds to even manure. May be a little harder to setup for reproduction though as the flies are well flies lol.

[@beamtweez1210]

Wow I just put coffee ☕️ grounds without anyone telling me. Thanks 🙏

[@greyhoundmama2062]

BSF are for summertime. The Chooks LOVE them and they are much higher in calcium than mealworms. However, they like rotten veges and have to be kept wet but not drowning. They are messy and are an outdoor project, loving extremely warm weather. During the winter, you should switch to MW and go indoors.

[@Livingwomanonarkansas1]

They set up camp in my composter with zero work from me. I just use a pitch fork to do one stir. Then scoop a mound of compost with hundreds of the larvae at different stages. My chickens always get excited when they see me with a shovel heading their way. Lol.

[@lcgcamrrms9]

Just read a comment from a gentleman in another video that said he takes meat scraps and wraps it in an old mesh onion bag and hangs it in the coop high enough that the chickens can't reach it. Flies are attracted and lay on it. As the larvae grows, it falls off into the coop so the chickens have a fresh supply of protein. Sounds like a logical solution just don't know how the smell would go over in a neighborhood..lol

[@79klkw]

@@Livingwomanonarkansas1 you lucky son of a gun! I wish this would happen in my compost! I seem to only get freakish bugs that seem to be solitary, or things that fly, so my chickens do not make out with any treats, unless the vermin make the trip to my coop on their own.

[@honeybeehillsidehomestead3177]

I love that this is an option you can get started on before getting chickens since it takes a bit to get the colony established.

[@ladyprepper4]

Just thought about raising my own meal worms this morning when I was feeding my chickens and scooping dried worms out of a $38.00 bag! Perfect timing, and I love your channel! Thank you!

[@thenpheler1]

Same here I am putting my farm together today!

[@thenpheler1]

That’s why I am starting a meal worm farm

[@thenpheler1]

@Crickets I am going to use oatmeal and grind it fine

[@e.duncan6256]

Yeah, I just bought a 5lb bag of tge blavk fly larva. I think I’ll start raising them.

[@number1enemyoftheuseless985]

Oh no this isn't a video for your chickens.... This is what they expect the common human being under their rule will only be able to scrape up and get by on is eating maggots and larvae because Hollywood doesn't want you or meat have anything in life the elites don't want us to have anything because that takes our mind off of worshiping them.

[@playstationvr5753]

Thank you for sharing theses beautiful ideas

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

im so tempted to do this! I think it would be a great wait to make compost. I also love using the chickens.

[@ericag6387]

I understand the first and second tier drawers, how does the third drawer play in? Is it space to grow beetles and move them up to the first tier ?

[@carolynthomas3223]

Can't wait for mine to mature.

[@MrDee001]

Very informative. Thanks.

[@iamcat281]

I used to raise hissing roaches. Cucumbers are a neurotoxin to those bugs. I hope the same is not true for meal worms. Just a heads up. Just in case.

[@LovinofftheLand]

Good to know. I will have to look in to that. Thanks for the heads up

[@ladyhannahs3245]

How often do you give them fresh veggies and fruit? Thx ❤

[@LovinofftheLand]

About once a week 👌

[@baddog9320]

I understand how the egg drop into the 2nd drawer and become the meal worms. But what is the reason for the 3rd drawer. And how does anything get into the 3rd drawer. Seems like you only need 2 drawers. Take out the meal worms you wish to use as feed. Then take out the beetles for new colony. BTW how long do the beetles in the top last? Do the produce for years, months, weeks or days? It would seem in a high arid place like I live. That putting the vegetables for a day. Rotating with new vegetables. Soak old vegetables in water for a day. on day 3 put 1st vegetables in. day 4 2nd vegetables. repeat Then when gone do again. I didn't know meal worms were beatles.

[@LovinofftheLand]

We just do that so that we can move mealworms down to the bottom bin to go through the pupae stage and turn into Beetles that then go back into the top bin. We find our beetles live for about 6 months. We haven't tried rehydration for the vegetables, but if you are in a super hot place, that might be good. They usually get through most of it where we are. Let us know if you try it and how it works

[@neelamsingh83]

Ur such an inspiration

[@MrScott426]

Can and do you feed the beetles to the chickens?

[@cindypope4238]

Yes, they like beetles too but save some to lay the eggs.

[@jonestr57]

I could rule the world with a 4,1/2 grinder

[@Aurora3242]

Does anybody know how this wonderful idea will work in the Arizona desert? 🏜

[@Chertejadam-q3r]

Can the beetles of the mealworms escape and hurt my vegetables in the garden?

[@hawksoaring3014]

cool thanks

[@LovinofftheLand]

Hope it helps

[@emmadeli8662]

Awesome advices

[@rosied9098]

Sounded like the NFL but it's Congress! 😯

[@spacesix7039]

You are a genius

[@thelthrythquezada8397]

Jeez, my OCD is killing me, I want them cut line straight, I am NOT trash talking you. Just my OCD getting the better of me.

[@MicheleTaylor-d9v]

What kind of beetles are they?

[@LovinofftheLand]

Darkling Beetle

[@kristinebutcher4819]

hi there. any chance of helping me find a reputable place to purchase the worms & beetles? the FB link person does not answer requests :) tia!!!

[@LovinofftheLand]

Hey Kristine. Where are you located?

[@teresapisanello5464]

Hi Chris, great video thank you! Just recently found you guys and i can't wait to watch your journey! I am in the process of starting up my own mealworm Farm and all I need now are the mealworms. There would be a link at the bottom of the video but I don't see it. Could you please put it in here so I can have a reputable place to buy the mealworms from? Thank you so much!! 😊

[@lenochka225]

What kind of mesh is this? Can you provide a link?

[@BloodyKnives66]

Same you'd use for a screen door

[@williamrobinettejr4976]

What size mesh did you use? I have a smaller kit but it’s getting over full and need a bigger one

[@LovinofftheLand]

We just used screen door mesh :)

[@williamrobinettejr4976]

@@LovinofftheLand there is different types I just went with the pet screen mesh the holes are a little bigger but not a huge difference I figured the eggs would fall through a little better that way

[@wildandliving]

You can eat meal worms they're like a crunchy rice when fried

[@stopdeletingmyaccount125]

Pass. Bird food. Birds make eggs. I'll eat those

[@jimbefit3073]

Please learn to speedup or condense your videos. Ty

[@archangel20031]

Don't cut the whole bottom out, cut squares out leaving some support, then since the screen is "full of holes" just put it in place and run the hot glue over the screen, it will leak through the holes and glue the perfectly positioned screen in place.

[@stevenskaggs3722]

Great idea. But I think he didn’t do it because some of the eggs the eggs will get stuck where the plastic remains.

[@Deej496]

Been raising mealworms for a few years now. [In fact just cleaned out my boxes yesterday!] I find them interesting and fun to raise and love seeing my hens run to me all excited when they see I have the... "BugBag"! Thanks for the video!

[@shantelbryan3660]

How do you keep pantry moths out of them? I freezes all my substrate for at least a week but they still take over.

[@Deej496]

@@shantelbryan3660 I have not had any moths .... Yet. Didn't know it was a thing.. so Thank you for the heads up, and I will, from now on, freeze the substrate. 🐛

[@crystalo3550]

Oh my yes chickens are to funny when they run and especially when one finds a worm and the others chase her I have a 10 pound rooster and let me tell you its about the funniest thing I see when he runs its so hilarious I love they have such big characters

[@Deej496]

@Crystal O a 10# 🐓? Wow! I'll bet he is a very handsome guy!

[@crystalo3550]

@@Deej496 yes he is big and gorgeous but he has red looking eyes looks real crazy an he is I've smacked him one time with a shovel he shook it off an came back aha i only did it because I seen he was going to stand down and he had just got my 5 yr old son he autistic so his flight or fight response is not so great he just stands there crying so I had to do something im so scared to catch him an I think he knows it

[@lesheinen3682]

Please, I don't understand the need for 3 bins. The top bin is for adults and the eggs drop thru to the second bin where they hatch into the mealworms and pupate. So what is the third bin used for? Are the pupae moved down there to turn into adults which then get moved to the top bin? I can see where once the cycles have been established the mealworms can be taken out for feed but how many would be too many? Is the goal to maintain a specified number of beetles in the top? I can see a problem with the balance of the system if too many mealworms are taken off for feed. Thanks!!

[@colourful64able]

In that container.. 30,000 mealworms would fit. Counting them us the worae

[@HaltWhoGoesThere]

I am confused by this as well. I don't understand the point of the 3rd bottom drawer. Are we supposed to physically grab the mealworms and put them in the bottom drawer? And Every video I've watched on this doesn't explain what to do once you have all this set up. ugh

[@VenomnymouS]

6:09 I started harvesting curly dock that grows around my area and grinding that up for my mealworms eat. They eat it up no problem. A free and clean food source that’s probably better for them than the store bought (non-organic) wheat bran that I was buying.

[@LovinofftheLand]

I'll have to look up curly dock and see if we have it where we are

[@mrs.garcia6978]

She better get used to bugs, with all our psycho leaders trying to cause WW3 it might be OUR food too 😅

[@lifewidelearninghere]

Haha, yeah, but we ain't gonna let them do that to us, now are we!

[@meoff7602]

No thanks, I'll just take a swing on a tree or whatever from neck rather than try to live through a nuclear winter.

[@andrewdisney8475]

Yum!!

[@crystalo3550]

Yes indeed it is actually what they want us to eat they plan on taking everything from us an tell us when and what we will be eating insane lunatics its not right all that they get away with

[@quiksilver1j]

Bugs are for chickens ... I eat chickens . if they want to eat bugs go for it ... I myself won't be eating any bugs

[@-RubbingAlcohol-]

Would this work with PetsMart mealworms?

[@josephvita8943]

Yes

[@-RubbingAlcohol-]

@@josephvita8943 alr ty!

[@ryanleblanc2925]

Good timing, the price of dried mealworms just shot up at the farm supply store I work at.

[@jameswalters9683]

Can I make a suggestion on transferring beetles - just an idea - grab a large cup big enough to hold everything in the first container and then sit it in the middle of second container and let them transfer on their own - could add water at end to force the last few out

[@SuperMasterTurtle]

Do not make the mistake I made, I put my wheat bran in the oven at 375f for 1 hour... the smoke detector is working.

[@AnneGoggansQHHT]

My mom stored all of our grains in the deep freeze with a bay leaf.

[@redbloodedamerican3]

So we've been raising mealworms for about 12 months now and still aren't producing enough to feed any to our chickens... that's a lot of work for about ZERO return. I will never try this again

[@meloniecorder9951]

How many did you start with?

[@redbloodedamerican3]

@@meloniecorder9951 2000 worms 1000 pupa and a few hundred bugs

[@redbloodedamerican3]

We did the tower system, the guy we bought them off of had to upgrade his system twice in about 9 months and was producing worms and beatles by the hundreds of thousands. He only cared for them for an hour every Sunday, saying they were low maintenance... Ours hatch every day! We have to sort them constantly and they still produce nothing! Our numbers have barley doubled! The only thing I can guess is bad luck and we are hatching almost all male beatles...

[@sherirottweilersforever7772]

Mites in the grain is one more reason for me to not eat grains.

[@georgettehillard9390]

Can I buy the mealworms used as fishing bait here in Florida to get started?

[@mrs.garcia6978]

As long as they aren’t the jumbo ones, those are sterile

[@christopherrobin8169]

Hey chris...am glad you got your farm together... that looks awesome... you sound quite educated at mealworm farming... they are a real treat to any farm..! Thanks for sharing my info!!.. mealworm guy here..🖐🖐

[@patrickelifritz]

I've just learned that if you don't leave 3-4" on the front side of your bottom you will dump stuff all over the floor beneath it. Leave the back half + for screening to give yourself shaker room.

[@LovinofftheLand]

Haha. We have definitely done that, too. The top drawer doesn't get opened without the middle one being opened

[@patrickelifritz]

Absolutely! that was Mistake #1 he talked me into. Also, I learned to not cut the full bottom out. I left ribs for stability and am much happier for it.

[@Ty-nq4fh]

Mites in our food. YUM. There is usually an allowable amount of insect "parts" in most food products.

[@amandaanderson8647]

What kind of screen are you using at the bottom of your containers

[@bm8292]

My. Mealworms are doing OK But the beetles are dying. What could be the reason. Temperature?

[@LovinofftheLand]

They usually dint mind temperature. Could be not enough moisture from the food they're getting. How old are they?

[@jpetit9479]

Someone should sell containers already made.

[@deedahl2866]

You can use a wood burning tool to smooth out the rough cut edges. :)

[@johnscarboroughregenerativ7240]

Can you feed them primarily coffee grounds

[@bynumfranks226]

Soldier fly larva would be cool to learn to raise

[@oscaoce8564]

Can i use mealworms from my compost to start out?

[@RuhulAmin-uu9fh]

You can send some pupa to me in Bangladesh, brother

[@threeowls369]

Can you use aluminum screening or does it have to be mesh? Thanks 😊

[@debfergeson8460]

Late to the party, but I used aluminum screening

[@joycetompkins3680]

This was helpful for me...thanks!

[@angelahopson9604]

I have a gecko. I'm going to make a set up like this to feed him. Thank you for a great video

[@sharmilabasu4133]

Keep sharing such amazing videos

[@godsdaughtercindy5174]

Do they escape from that type of container?

[@SylviYah0507]

No

[@jodivaniderstine9889]

How do you keep the beetles from escaping?

[@LovinofftheLand]

They can't climb up the walls of the plastic. Don't think we've ever had one escape 👌

[@mothdust7752]

I need to buy new Scissors

[@katiekiss9046]

Nice meal form farm 0:03

[@hoppas77]

Hi, can you please provide the link where to buy the worms :) Thank you

[@LovinofftheLand]

Yes, you can reach Christopher here. He was very helpful facebook.com/profile.php?id=100026059613584

[@hoppas77]

@@LovinofftheLand Awesome, Thanks so much!

[@reboot530]

So how do you clean them so you don't have moldy substrate

[@LovinofftheLand]

We keep them inside in a dry area to help try avoid mold. At the end of the cycle when the meal worms get fed to the chickens, that substrate all goes to the compost. Same with the beetles. At some point in the top drawer the beetles will start to die. Once they start dying, we feed them to the chickens, and the top drawer gets emptied out and cleaned. New substrate gets added with new mealworms/pupae to start the cycle again

[@bridgetwebb1006]

Did the eggs drop?

[@tommykingjr80]

Wouldn't moving the farm indoors in the winter attract rodents? I feel like there's a lot of good food for them in those bins...

[@evelynwaugh4053]

Fortunately, chickens like rodents too, especially the tender baby rodents.

[@dperkwoopdwoop]

Can you use mealworms in your garden?

[@stephanieperry1815]

Where the worm link

[@ishka3405]

Thank you for the video. What is the size for the mesh please?

[@jerridmichels4289]

Do they escape?

[@HostageDK]

what size mesh?

[@honeybeehillsidehomestead3177]

This is great! Thank you for the idea. I cannot wait to get chickens & I am definitely doing to make a meal worm farm! I am wondering if there are any good non-plastic alternatives for the drawers? Would there be any issues using wood? Like many hippies, I have a distaste for plastic 😅 you know how it is lol.

[@hannahgendron7094]

I've heard they can chew through wood, glass or metal would work though

[@TyinAlaska]

Energy is lost from grain to beatles to larvae to fowl, so how does this cost less than feeding the grain and food scraps directly to the birds? I can certainly understand raising meal worms as a protein supplement for chickens, but as a food source, aren't they more expensive? Thanks.

[@krissifaith6709]

My mom used apple slices. ^^

[@LovinofftheLand]

Perfect. Any fruit or vegetable with a water content will do. You just don't want something with too much moisture that will rot

[@sherripowell7285]

Can you feed the mealworms with something you can grow?

[@cameronbethea123]

There isn’t a lot of hard data on feeding mealworms using non grain substrates, but for what it’s worth, mealworms are general decomposers and in the wild can subsist on anything from rotting wood and leaves to animal carcasses. The fact that they naturally eat wood, and that many beetle larvae are known to be able to digest cellulose with the help of bacteria, they could probably subsist on mostly green feed. I’m experimenting with raising mealworms using only dried grasses and weeds, to improve the fatty acid and nutrient composition of the worms, and ultimately the birds that eat them. I have a hunch that they will grow just fine, especially if fed with high protein plants.

[@toenuckles]

@@cameronbethea123 any updates on this?

[@cameronbethea123]

@@toenucklesYeah actually my colony is doing well on simple dehydrated alfalfa meal and weeds or veggie scraps as a water source, which I place on wax paper to prevent molding. You can also use clover, or any other high protein forage and simply dry it and make it into meal. If livestock can eat it, odds are mealworms can as well. Mealworms do have gut bacteria which help them process cellulose to a moderate extent. They aren’t as efficient as cows, but they are fully capable of subsisting on greens. They grow a little slower than grain fed worms, but their growth rate is still satisfactory, and they get just as big and seem to be quite healthy. I attribute this to the vitamins, minerals, and protein in the alfalfa. With my setup, the larvae go from nearly invisible to ideal size in about 5-6 weeks in a 70-72 degree room, and they will pupate about 7 weeks after they are just barely visible to the naked eye. They pupate well, and the beetles are healthy and able to reproduce just fine, I can’t see any reduction in their reproductive performance compared to when I used oats, the only difference is the larvae got fatter quicker on the oats. Some worms grow noticeably faster than others on the alfalfa based diet, so it’s definitely possible to selectively breed them to get mealworms that do better with more cellulose, but I personally don’t feel it’s worth the hassle, since their performance is good enough for me atm. if you want to add extra energy for better growth rates, you could probably mix some cheap granulated sugar into the substrate, plus get them in a warmer area, and you would possibly end up getting better performance than just using oats as a substrate, I haven’t tried this yet though.

[@toenuckles]

@@cameronbethea123 amazing info thanks thanking the time to update 🥂 I'm getting my farm started over the next few days I'll def implement some of your advice

[@79klkw]

This method is super cool, I may do this before I raise earthworms, as it looks like an intro to bug rearing! I even have a 3 drawer Tupperware thing, like you used, and i was ready to toss it!

[@LovinofftheLand]

Awesome. Let us know how it goes

[@rottweilerventuresregister4598]

Is there a particular temperature they need to be kept at

[@mrs.garcia6978]

70-80*

[@baddog9320]

Well that temp is ridiculous. At that rate I can just grow nightcrawlers. Surely the range is much bigger..I've seen meal worms survive in much higher Temps then nightcrawers. I'm sure 120 out of the sun will be fine. But no idea about low Temps. As I've only used meal worms in above 50 degrees.

[@SunnieDIY]

Can they eat whole oat groats there is a good price for that here its like 10 bucks for 50lbs which is cheaper than my wheat bran source. Are whole uncut oats too much for them?

[@Worlddownsideup]

Trying to figure out what we’re doing wrong. We’ve had our beetle farm for probably going on two months now and don’t have any larva.

[@deedahl2866]

I use non-medicated Chick Starter-Grower and run it in a blender, then sift it, so it's a fine flour. Also, this lets me use a large sifter to take the beetles out and move to another box.

[@40kwalker]

Hello. I recently discovered ants in my mealworm farm. What can I do? Is it a list cause?

[@LovinofftheLand]

Hello. I would suggest cleaning out all the ants and moving to a different area. Unfortunately I don't think there is much more you can do other than that

[@40kwalker]

@@LovinofftheLand Thank you

[@tributetotributes8743]

what temps do they need to keep them alive (all stages)....thanks in advance

[@LovinofftheLand]

They are pretty durable. We make sure they are kept above 0 degrees Celsius. The issue isn't so much them dying, but how much their life cycle slows down when it's cooler. If kept at 20 degrees they produce much quicker

[@lostinspace2780]

I noticed that the meal worms (or beetles) ate a few holes in the plastic screen mesh so that some beetles escaped into the egg/baby mealworm drawer underneath. I have since upgraded my 'screen' to a thicker material to see if it can withstand the gnawing action of the worms! To be determined!

[@LovinofftheLand]

That's great. We have had the same issue. Let us know how it goes

[@lostinspace2780]

@@LovinofftheLand I am trying the plastic canvas that I got from Hobby Lobby. It is very thick, very cheap, and easy to work with.

[@calebgrindstaff1322]

​@lostinspace2780 I know this post is a year old, so kind of pointless now lol. I have raised mealworms for along time and if you go this route I have always used hardware cloth. They will not be able to chew through it. It's fairly cheap as well.

[@cassandrarudolph1307]

If I live in New Hampshire and I also live in a small space what do I do with this setup and meal worms in the winter ?

[@hannahgendron7094]

They'd have to live indoors, but if you got a set of drawers that weren't see through it could blend in with regular furniture

[@cassandrarudolph1307]

@@hannahgendron7094 hell no I’m not having that lol no worms in my house I’m good

[@cassandrarudolph1307]

@@hannahgendron7094 I will buy them here and there for them Chickens

[@hannahgendron7094]

@@cassandrarudolph1307 nothing wrong with just buying a bag of dried mealworms instead lol

[@cassandrarudolph1307]

@@hannahgendron7094 I did I found a place I have 500 mealworms coming soon for $14

[@karenvanmeeteren5097]

Hi! Thank you for your informative video. Just one question left for me: what is the size of the holes in the mesh?

[@rhianlewis6774]

This was my only question too please?

[@sheilamclaughlin963]

Probably window screen

[@jeromephelan8882]

Can this farm survive through the winter?

[@markcarney9144]

instead of meal worms as chicken feed you might want to start raising black soldier flies, which are native to your area and that you can feed with kitchen and garden scraps.

[@GodiscomingBhappy]

just found ur channel. liked and subscribed. thanks for sharing. Greetings from Europe.

[@gilbizzle]

I assume if you have raccoons on your property they would love to get into these bins?

[@rebelrog]

So could you put the bran in water and boil it to kill the mites while at the same time adding moisture to the bran in addition or instead of the vegetables? Not boiling it for an extended time, just bring it to a good solid boil and then removing the heat? I'm thinking two birds in one stone?

[@imsophalgeneralknowledge6371]

I love your sharing so much brother ❤

[@troyalger1603]

What's a Meal Form Farm?

[@LovinofftheLand]

Ahaha. I can't believe nobody else mentioned this yet, but that was definitely a typo. lol

[@michaelboom7704]

Keep up the good work with your lifestyle!!

[@patrickelifritz]

I found a kitty litter scoop to work well for transferring material and bugs from one drawer to another. GENTLY, so you don't make more mess than you already have.

[@abigailjunkins4291]

I want to know how many mealworms and beetles are in your large bins? I have the bigger version and I want to make sure I’m not over crowding.

[@Survivalguy]

That's the biggest 1/4 inch I have ever seen. lol

[@daleparks6781]

I won't use Facebook closed my account couple years ago so?

[@user-xg8ij1hs3x]

Do you need to separate them

[@hannahgendron7094]

the beetles will eat the larvae

[@offgridatliberypoint]

Great accomplishment... good job.

[@truthforall1303]

Please can you tell me what the sieve sizes are? Cheers Mandy Uk

[@KingerlySHolt]

Does it smell?

[@LovinofftheLand]

Doesn't smell that bad at all

[@AvuncularMicah]

I like to keep them together just in case my parents get hungry for protein

[@autry9562]

Hi! Does the farm have to live in the house? Love your channel!