The layer chicks are the same age as the meaties, i.e. 7 weeks. It's so lovely to pick them up and find that, despite a diet of only 50% commercial feed, they have as much feather and bodyweight as any layer could. I'm also happy with their behaviour and feel their nutrition has been close to just right.
If I could add something to their diet, it would be more fresh meat. However that's not going to happen with mince at $7 or $8 a kilo and pet mince fiddly to feed (because of the need to rinse/heat to remove preservatives). Never mind. As they go on, I'll find ways to keep up the amino acid supplement while they get a basic protein percentage from the mixed legumes and grains.
Meanwhile I've invested in a $10 container of mealworms. I've never kept mealworms before, but I'd bought a bag of bran from the feed store as a chick diet ingredient, and figured 'why not?' Vegetable peelings, old flour, skim milk and bran seem to be all the mealworms want in life... Hopefully I can let their numbers build up to a level where they're able to be fed to the chickens daily.
Worth a shot, anyhow... I'll keep you posted. Hopefully they won't do a 'worm farm' and vanish on me...
Thanks for such a great blog. I've learned a lot here tonight. How is your meal worm project going?
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for that kind comment!
ReplyDeleteThe mealworms are just starting to pupate, so that's encouraging. In a few weeks I should know how well it's going to go. They're definitely not much trouble to keep (so far).
best wishes
Erica