Aussie Finch Forum

Jay are you breeding your own mealworms? They are just so easy on a small scale and no complaints from family.

Hi redwing
No I'm not, I don't like feeding mealies as much because the cordons are so wasteful with them, also all the birds tend to over indulge. I do feed them occasionally like a treat, but up till now I've stuck to greens.
I visited some mealworm breeding aetups here in Canberra and they all looked pretty bIg and complicated.
I have limited space so I'd like to stick to one food if possible and maggots seem the go, easily digestible by chicks, and generally pretty good (plus I like how they feel in my hand )

Jay,

I'd say try the ARC maggots and then setup a flybox yourself - you'll have way too many so maybe you can sell excess to others at your club. Well worth the effort even for species that don't require them. I reckon it makes the difference between clutches of 2 and 3 and clutches of 4 and 5. Your longtails and painteds are all used to maggots - they'll probably take the odd one or two and will pig out when breeding.

Sam

You could always freeze a few. I did when I got some and the birds didnt seem to mind the maggot popsicles. Ive even frozen the fly pupae, birds ate it all.

Depends on the birds I guess BB, I found that the softbills didn't really take to them frozen, perhaps they went a bit too mushy.

Jay, if you do try freezing them pop a few pinches in a ice cube tray (1 days worth per cube), that way you never have to get out more than 1 days supply. That's what I do with the chat's carrot juice (although I'm feeding them more spirulina than carrot juice now).

I can imagine the softbills would prefer their food live. I dont have any softbills so I cant speak about them but my OBs, BFPF, Fire finch and even the Emblema didnt mind them. I just spooned the maggots and the bedding? into icecube trays and took a block out each day as required.

I buy them online from arcade and get two weeks out of them I have frozen a few this time to see how they go.
Make sure you put a lid on the container you keep them in as even in the fridge they get around.

Jay, I get them occassionally from ARCade or elsewhere to supplement the termites or to make it easier for relief birdkeepers in my absence.

I will need to get on with my own flybox soon, as I am looking forward to getting some weavers.
I think it is pretty straightforward and efficient, and sounds like it would work for you.
The medium smells a bit sour when you are near it but it is not like a deadthing horriblerottenstench smellitamillionmilesaway sort of maggotty smell like you might expect.

I also think that it's a good idea if you get one so I can hit you up for maggots when my setup fails

Faza wrote:Make sure you put a lid on the container you keep them in as even in the fridge they get around.

I would have liked to be a fly on the wall in your kitchen that day, Faza.
No doubt a funny scene, if perhaps domestically difficult.....

It is so easy breeding bushfly maggots and that can be a problem with regard over supply.
If there are 2 or 3 living close by then the output can be shared. Otherwise Goldfish like them or as a last resort put them in a plastic bag and wrap them up well in newspaper and into the bin they will just pupate and die as sad flies.

Thanks for your input everyone
I'll do a bit of begging and see if I can get approval for a fly box two.
Plenty of pics on here so I'll have a lOok through.