Breeding Woodies

[Jayburd]

During a chat with Ian Brown in Melbourne last weekend, he mentioned button quails really like woodies.
Can anyone enlighten me as to how to breed woodies in a way that is cheap, doesn't take up massive amounts of room, and will convince my parents they won't escape?
Thanks,
J

[natamambo]

Can't answer for the first two criteria, but by all accounts are easy and cheap. I'm thinking of trying to grow them but my small Softbills prefer crickets and I'm not sure what I'd do with excess woodies - except get more Softbills . Last one, spray sides of container with food grade silicone spray on a regular ASIs (cheaper) or paint sides with fluon (probably longer lasting but dearer).

I find my birds won't take woodies if they get to big, which they do quicker than other options, but might be ok for a big bird like quail.

To feed out - Put woodies in a clear tub, only spray a little bit below rim. Quail will see woodies on sides and walk up the provided earthen ramp or flutter in for woodies. Tub needs to be longer than it is tall. Make sure quail can get out by watching them.

Reptile forums are a great place to get insect breeding tips:
http://www.australianfreshwaterturtles. ... -(Woodies)

Silicone spray:
http://www.blackwoods.com.au/PartDetail ... o=05942442

Fluon:
http://www.reptiledirect.com.au/p/288/A ... 100ml.html

The reptile threads all say to use Vaseline as the escape trap - it works ok but can get grubby and needs to cleaned off before reapplying, I find the silicone spray the easiest to work with.

[Danny]

Have a look on http://www.herpshop.com.au and look at their care sheets. Yes they do eat them but they will also naturalise in the aviaries and as livebearers will colonise your nest boxes faster than any other roach.

[natamambo]

The link Danny mistyped

http://www.herpshop.com.au/

Keep you lidded breeding tubs out of aviaries to reduce chance of colonization if you don't over feed and have escapees.

[Danny]

Fixed now - where did the other link take you ??
I do mine in rubbish bins. Old gypsum style kitty litter an inch deep on the bottom to absorb moisture. Stack egg cartons, with the last two knuckles ripped off, ripped end down in the bottom. This way the faeces fall onto the floor automatically and you can pick up an egg carton and shake out the contents easily without disturbing the rest of the box. A handful of mealworms in the bottom will eat most of the faeces and keep it cleaner. For food I use dry dog food in 1/2 inch mesh tubes and a 1/4 whole pumpkin for moisture (usually they just leave you the skin). The bin lid has the centre cut out and replaced with aluminium fly mesh. A wipe of Fluon around the top and you are ready to go. Woodies do better when they are neglected - fiddle too much and they breed poorly. Set up two bins, each with 1/2 kilo woodies and in 6 weeks you'll be swimming in them and be able to sell off the excess. The same can be done on a smaller basis with any plastic container that seals well.

[Jayburd]

Thanks guys
do better when neglected - sounds like my kind of insect! I kept forgetting to feed the mealworms, which is why I don't try with them anymore.
So when you run out then what? just buy another 1/2 kilo and start again?
I'll have a read through the links

[Jayburd]

To feed out - Put woodies in a clear tub, only spray a little bit below rim. Quail will see woodies on sides and walk up the provided earthen ramp or flutter in for woodies. Tub needs to be longer than it is tall. Make sure quail can get out by watching them.

I'll have to be careful - my bird's a phsychotic little bugger, have to watch him every time he goes in
I'll be growing them some much more suitable grasses this spring so that should calm him down a bit I hope

[Tintola]

Danny, what is a good method of harvesting small woodies from the large ones? I'm guessing that something using vermin proof bird wire would work.

[Danny]

Thanks guys
do better when neglected - sounds like my kind of insect! I kept forgetting to feed the mealworms, which is why I don't try with them anymore.
So when you run out then what? just buy another 1/2 kilo and start again?
I'll have a read through the links

If you are only feeding a couple of quail and only feed out of one of two tubs you are unlikley to run out.

[Danny]

Danny, what is a good method of harvesting small woodies from the large ones? I'm guessing that something using vermin proof bird wire would work.

The commercial guys use one bucket inside another with holes drilled in the bottom of the top bucket and a ring of fluon around the inside - they use decreasing hole size at each 'filtering' stage. Dump in a whole lot, wait 1/2 hour then put the big ones back and resieve with a smaller holed bucket if you want them smaller.