They may not look very appealing to you or me, but from the hens' perspective, dried mealworms look as tasty as a home-cooked meal prepared by someone you love. Although they have the texture of crumbly corn chips, these tasty little morsels will have your herd wild with temptation. Just a small portion of these once hectic wonders is enough to improve the health and well-being of your ladies so they can live their lives to the best of their ability! Put your beak in this easy-to-digest article with the top 7 reasons to feed your hungry feathered friends mealworms.
1. A few mealworms are enough.
Make sure you don't make an entire meal out of your mealworms. A small handful of mealworms, on average about 1-10 per chicken, is enough to boost their protein intake. Generally speaking, adult laying hens should have a diet of around 16% protein. Young chickens and pullets of course have extra protein in their chicken feed, or extra mealworms in their feed, to help them grow and grow strong. Your laying ladies will of course eat the whole bag if you let them, but be sure to limit their intake to the recommended portion. In an eggshell, don't overdo it when feeding your ladies mealworms.
2. Feed your laying dams protein.
Protein is an essential part of the diet of all living things, especially chickens. Think about it, chicken eggs are one of the most popular protein sources available! Not to mention that chickens need lots of protein so they can develop shiny plumage to keep them warm in the winter. So it only makes sense that any Chicken Lady should make sure her daughters have plenty of protein in their diet. Mealworms are of course the natural choice, as each mealworm contains nearly 50% protein - HOLY HEN! But, if you are looking for more protein treat ideas, check out this great article here.
3. Mealworms will help your daughters during shedding season.
During the moulting season, which typically occurs throughout the fall and spring, it is essential for every chicken owner to somehow increase the protein intake of their flock. Mealworms are a particularly good choice because they are a dense source of protein, which will help your chooks regrow their feathers in no time. It is also important to note that your herd's immune system will be reduced throughout the moulting season, so it is imperative that you supplement their diet with tasty mealworms, to help them through this difficult season. For more ways to help boost your herd's immune system, click here.
Mealworms dried out of the package.
4. Grow your eggs with mealworms.
Naturally, when your chicken has enough protein in its diet, it will be able to produce eggs at its peak. Many testimonials of chicken lovers have noticed an improvement in the flavor and size of their eggs after starting to feed their flock the recommended serving of mealworms. Remember that eggs are almost entirely made up of protein, so mealworms are the perfect egg treat in any laying hen diet.
Find out the best tips for getting more eggs from your laying ladies here.
5. Helps transform litter into a deep litter system.
It may seem slightly left of center, but anyone using a deep litter system is always looking for an easier way to turn the litter. Let me explain, chooks love mealworms - in fact, it drives them a little crazy with excitement. By scattering an appropriate portion of mealworms mixed with food on the deep litter system, your chooks will begin to scratch and peck at the litter, thereby mixing it up. Long story short, you won't need to pull out the shovel and toss that hot, heavy litter. I can hear some of you mumbling, "what is a deep litter system". Stick your beak in this guide to creating your own deep litter system here and wonder no more.
6. You'll love watching your hens munch on the mealworms.
You think your hens are excited when they lay an egg - wait to see how they act when they find out they have mealworms for dinner. Sit on the deck with a cup of coffee and giggle when you see how crazy your chooks go when you treat them to a few mealworms. Your girls will go wild in the best possible way for mealworms. As many Chicken Lady's have said, "if my chickens are happy, I'm happy".
7. Your chickens will love you for it.
As many chicken lovers already know, chooks are very sensitive to food. There are countless anecdotes of chooks charging into the backyard when their beloved owner comes out of the house with a feeder full of chicken feed, perhaps with a few mealworms mixed in. Food is one of the great joys of any chicken's life, so it's only fitting that any chicken lover provides treats and variety in their diet. Mealworms are simply something all chickens will love. Don't be a moron.
