Mealworms for birds: Budgies, finches, softbills
Mealworms are the most common insect fed to birds. Mealworms for birds can be bought from pet shops or you can breed your own. All insectivorous birds will eat mealworms. They are excellent for budgies, finches, and softbills.
Finch keepers feed mealworms to finches because live food is very important to breed in many finch species.
A mealworm is one of the stages in the life cycle of the Black Beetle.
Mealworms for birds – There are three types of mealworms:
The Yellow Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor)
The Dark Mealworm (T. obscurus)
The Superworm (Zophobas sp.)
Habitat and life stages of mealworms:
They eat leaves, dried grasses, grains, and decomposing organic material. In nature, they are mostly found under rotting plant material, in wood stumps, and near animal enclosures and buildings where food is stored.
Black Beetles go through four succeeding life stages:
Egg
Larva (mealworms) – about 2.5 cm long – will be mealworms for 90 to 114 days
Pupa – develop into adult beetles after 3 to 30 days
Adult – between 1.25 cm to 1.8 cm long
In spring the adult female lays about 500 eggs that develop into mealworms
The benefits of dried mealworms vs live mealworms for birds:
They are free from additives.
Have a higher food value than live mealworms.
Dried mealworms come without the hassle and mess of storing live mealworms in your fridge to keep them fresh.
Cheaper than live mealworms.
The shelf life is extended by a freeze-drying process.
Their nutritional value is preserved by freeze drying.
Can be fed to your birds the whole year round when live mealworms are not available.
Easy to store and no chilling is needed.
Feeding mealworms to birds:
Turacos – ground dried mealworms in a coffee grinder and sprinkle the powder over the fruit and vegetables.
Mealworms should not be fed in too high quantities as it can lead to health problems like sores on the feet and eye problems. Six to ten per day for one bird is a good guide.
Note:
If you grow your own mealworms, rather use chicken meal instead of bran. Bran contains phytic acid that handicaps the absorption of calcium. If you use bran, sprinkle a calcium additive over the bran so that the mealworms get a well-balanced diet.
Here is a post with more information to feed mealworms to budgies:
https://www.wwbirds.co.za/dir/what-do-budgies-eat/
You might also be interested in eggs for your birds:
https://www.wwbirds.co.za/dir/can-birds-eat-eggs/
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