Mealworm farming

[OkChickens]

How long on average does it take to reproduce a fully mature generation. An example is a hen lays an egg, hatches a chick, then growing to a hens and lays an egg?

Nate

 

[andrea98]

20ish months to lay an egg .. Than after fertilized it takes 21 days to hatch than another 20ish months for her to lay, cycle repeats ....
Is this what you are talking about?

 

[OkChickens]

For Mealworms. not Chickens! lol

Nate

 

[Gypsi]

Seems to be about 2 months - in my experience at around 70 degrees average temp

 

[andrea98]

Quote:
I was wondering .. I looked at your posts & thought you been around for a min & how you not know that lol

 

[onafixedincome]

Okay...Why is it that every time I drop in to read, I have an awful compulsion to go through my mealies?

Sheesh! Talk about an addiction and being suggestible!

 

[OkChickens]

Andrea- Thats fine I should have been more specific.

I hope my they get here on Wednesday or Thursday!

Nate

 

[1muttsfan]

My current experiment in total colony neglect is progressing nicely. A month ago I threw in some oatmeal. Just checked them for the first time since, the box is full of larvae. Oh, they are in a room that is about 55 degrees usually in the winter. Amazing what the little critters will put up with.

 

[gale65]

I bought our worms at the end of September and just saw babies today (they may be a couple days old). I keep the bin on the floor in the kitchen and there's no extra heat on it. So for ours from worms to beetles to eggs to babies, just over 3 mos.

 

[jpsbcfc]

as an update i brought both farms into the kitchen and sorted them out.

they seemed to warm up quite quickly but because the first box had somehow got condensation on the inside some of the oats got wet so some of it did go to the chooks in the end, kept the beetles that seemed to be alive and fed the rest,

the second one doesnt seem to have fared so well, there seems to be lots of empty skins in there as well as live meal worms so i kept a few and fed the rest to the girls.

i have now ordered another 500g bag of mealies to add to what was left and with keeping them in the kitchen i hope they will develop a lot faster from now on.

cheers for all the help and ideas