Hi there! Welcome to The Happy Chicken Coop. Today we are going to be talking about the difference between Mealworms and Black Soldier Fly Larvae. You'll find out which is better and more!
This is spot on and true. Last fall I fed mealworms to my flock because they were eating the rooster’s neck feathers. The mealworms will actually cause a calcium deficiency to happen, because they have a negative amount of calcium. (hard to explain). All of our hens started laying soft shelled eggs as a result. We had a mess of broken eggs everywhere, not to mention the loss to our collection of eggs. Once I researched it, I immediately switch them to the black soldiers fly larva, and also added eggshells to their diet in a separate bowl from the oyster shell. It was 2-3 days until we started seeing healthy strong shelled eggs again. I think sometimes people use the word “mealworm” interchangeably, but they have to be careful. There really is a serious difference.
Thanks for the info. This is awesome! On a slightly different note, can chickens also eat superworms for their protein (when molting) and BSFL or mealworms?
Interesting video comparison. Thanks for putting this video together. Very helpful. I was looking for the best option to attract local blue birds to my yard and film them while providing the best nutrients. The birds can find healthy choices in nature on their own I am certain, but I wanted to make sure that if I offer an alternative, they are consuming the better option.
I love mealworms, but I do not like that the beetles would eat my pupae and the eggs and the ammonia waste buildup and dead beetles from neglect, aggravates my lungs and nose. Unfortunately, I am allergic to mealworms, so I had to give them up, but I love how they look and feel. I have no allergy to BSF and although I have to deal with them flying, I love them so much it is a passion of mine. Raising something that flies, is really rewarding.
This is great details! We had a rough winter here this year (usually they lay year round) but this year everybody moulted and then gave me only a few soft shelled eggs. So I started a mealworm farm too late, and I've wondered about the BSL also. Two questions; #1 the flies only live during warm months so do you heat set up climate control for the bin - or is drying them for winterfeeding the only option? And is there a maximum healthy amount of mealworms to feed chickens? I think they would eat as many as I could give them (It will probably be summer before i get enough volume this year but I'm preparing for next winter). I'm thinking about growing the "worm farm" big enough to feed my dozen backyard chickens and maybe sell some locally, Subscribing! :)
