Is this the right "chicken lay mash"?

[xray328]

Looking to get chicken lay mash for the mealworms. Is this the right stuff?

 

[Crewdog00]

The cheapest stuff works great for me. Or oatmeal

 

[Laska]

looks good, does it say if it has any medications in it?

 

[xray328]

Not sure, I'll be sure to check before I buy it. I see people sifting it so you only get the fine grit out if it, can I just hit it with the food processor to make fine grit out of it all?

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Just make sure the mash does not get wet! Chicken mash is made from non-human grade corn that may have been exposed to blight, or stored in dirty/wet silohs and allowed to mold. These mold spores stay in the kernal of the corn, and when the mash gets wet and moldy, will start growing again. This mold is a mycotoxin! Feeders ingest this, and when the geckos eat these toxic bugs over time, will become poisoned. A long time ago, I lost 17 geckos out of 24 that were sick from aflatoxic poisoning! (This is how I came up with the GGG Slurry, to rehab the other 7).

 

[xray328]

Thanks for the info. I've been adding carrot slices on top, does that count as getting it wet?

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Yes.

 

[xray328]

Well that stinks. I'm not sure how I can use it at all then. If the mealworms need moisture from the carrots or whatever, and those can cause this deadly mold I can't see continuing to use it. Seems to be a pretty popular food for them though?

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Yes. Most feeder bug suppliers use chicken mash as a staple. However, since mealworms are actually beetle larvae, they really do not 'load' like adult crickets and roaches. Their sole purpose in existance is to eat so they can pupate. What I do with my worms is put a sections(s) of egg crate over the worms in their feed/bedding, and then put carrots, potatoes, squash, etc. on top of the egg crate. The worms will crawl up to get the produce and moisture while the rest stay nice and dry underneath. I also use human-grade grain meal which eliminates the worry about mycotoxins.

 

[xray328]

Excellent suggestion on the egg cartons! Where do you find human grade mash?

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Well, I don't use mash. I use 10-grain cereal for the crickets, and wheat bran got the worms from the bulk food barels at Winco. The cereal is $.89/lb. and the wheat bran is $.59/lb. and is human grade. I add 10% Vionate to the cereal. I still keep the dry food and moist food separate in the feeder bins.

 

[xray328]

Easy enough, thanks!

 

[charlie476]

Chicken food is pretty dense I recommend wheat bran when possible.

Also make sure to put whatever you get in the freezer and allow it to sit in 0F for 3-4 days. That will kill any possible grain pests. You can bake it also but you lose nutritional value in doing so.

 

[Geeko Chic]

Thank you very much for the tip, Marcia. Im trying it, but i just realized i have a problem. What do you use to separate the mealworms from the wheat bran? :/