Mealworms... a chicken keeper's secret !

.For those of us experienced in keeping backyard chickens, the mention of mealworms will incite a knowing nod of our heads.

For those scratching their heads... read on and the mystery will be unveiled.

Mealworms can be a chicken keeper's 'ace up their sleeve'... a hidden advantage... a 'secret weapon' during the moulting season for your feathered friends. 

Mealworms are the larvae form of the mealworm beetle, a type of darkling beetle. Pictured here, the larvae is usually a few centimetres in length and can be fed to chickens live or in a dried form. They are readily available in either form from your local pet food store.

So what's the fuss all about ?

​If you've read my blog post on why chickens stop laying, you will have read all about protein levels and their importance to our chickens. https://www.poultrypatch.com.au/chicken-chat/where-have-all-the-eggs-gone-why-chickens-stop-laying

​When the light levels outside start to decrease as we move out of Summer, chickens slow down laying and will move into a moult where they lose old feathers and regrow new ones. Feathers are largely made from protein so chickens direct their protein stores into creating new feathers. Needing high protein levels to also create eggs, their laying has to temporarily stop. They simply cannot do both easily.

As chicken farmers, we can assist with their protein levels in their diet by making sure we're feeding our animals with an appropriate poultry food: a commercial mash or pellet that has at least 16% protein. This is an essential starting point.

Then during the moulting season, we can lightly supplement our chickens with high protein treats to support their moulting process... and mealworms are a brilliant option.

Mealworms are very high in protein, approximately 30% in the live worm, nearly 50% in the dried worm. At Poultry Patch, we find the dried version to be cheap and plentiful and regularly throw out a few to our hens each day during Autumn and Spring. As a result, our egg laying doesn't suffer too much during these seasons, when many others have had to return to temporarily buying eggs because their girls have pressed pause on their egg production... oh the horror ! ;-)

We use: https://www.poultrypatch.com.au/store/p2/Chubby_Dried_Mealworms.html 

Like with any supplement, it comes with a warning: too much can cause internal issues, so keep it to about 10 worms per hen on any given day and you can't go wrong.

Cast them far and wide and watch your hens trip over each other to get them. As time goes on, watch the frenzy that unfolds when your hens start to realise you're the source of this tasty treat ... you'll be their new best friend and quickly on the path to returning your hens to laying those incredible eggs !