Aussie Finch Forum

Not having had soft bills such as th PR but feeding mini mealies to my stars and painters plus greens ans seeding grasses I was just wondering would silkworms be viable? Big fat moths and the caterpillars can be fed out at all sizes. Simple to feed and I am pretty sure they could be bred all year round. Maybe I'm wrong but anyone thought of the same or do the silkworms have something in them so they can't be used? Just trying to think outside the square. Sure would love some PR's though.

Silkworms are a great live food . The problem with them is that they have a built in biological clock and the moth's eggs will not hatch until spring, when the mulberry leaves start to grow. Some insect suppliers have extend their production for a few weeks, but I don't think that they have cracked the continuous production yet.

Have been working on silk worms good live food . But not that easy to keep up a constant supply . Still working on it !

A lot is said by overseas Pekin Robin breeders about the value of wax moths and their larvae, wax worms. You can buy them everywhere in the US and UK, but they don't seem to be available commercially here, even though they are here in the wild. I suspect the bee keepers have a problem with commercialisation of something they see as a hive pest. But they would make a great alternative to meal worms - they have a much softer skin and, I understand, a better protein:fat balance for birds like PRs.

Craig

It is quite some time since I was breeding Wax Worms. They were reasonably easy to breed and from memory they were bred in a medium of
Bran,Wheathearts dampened with a mixture of water,glycerine and honey.
The egg strips were just placed on top of the medium which was in a plastic take away container.
They would grow into small white grubs.You needed to watch them when they decided to pupate as they would try to get
out of the container.They would weave their silken case and hatch into brown moths.The eggs were layed in small strips in between the container
and its lid.They cycle stated over again.
You are correct in presuming bee keepers do not like them being bred.

Stunning to see success at breeding Pekins. Beautiful birds!

congratulations bgould
all those crickets and moths are paying off.
what a way to officially christen that new aviary complex of yours.

Hope the young ones know how to use the shelter with all this rain!

Just come in from feeding out this morning Iaos and mum and dad have the chicks tucked away in the brush under the shelter section out of the rain. But during the week when we did have a small shower, the parents coaxed them out into it. Maybe it was time to bath the kids.

west finch wrote:Have been working on silk worms good live food . But not that easy to keep up a constant supply . Still working on it !

Have you tried using the commercial diet that these guys sell?? It allows year round production . http://www.peacefulsilkworms.com.au/