Worm Beds

[Denim Deb]

KOxxx, after I read your explanation thru 2 times, I got it. What do you use for bedding?

 

[k0xxx]

I use a combination of peat and topsoil. I chose this only because it's what I had on hand at the time. They seem to do ok in.

I started the beds back when I was raising fish in a aquaponics system. I no longer have the fish so I given the worms to my girls. I have the beds in the coop, so if any do actually escape, I'd probably never know it. Maybe that's while it always looks like the chooks are smiling.

 

[colowyo0809]

I too am starting a worm bed. I've thought of using something like a tupperware tote. Will I need to put drainage holes in it? or would it be better to make one of wood or something instead? I have LOTS of magic worm bedding.(DH got it for a song at an estate sale!) I also have acess to rabbit, chicken, and pig manure. Does it have to sit a while, or can I just put it in? And I can get all the coffee grounds I care to, plus newspaper and cardboard. Plenty of leaves and pine straw as well. I've just never actually done this before so any help/advice is surely appreciated!

I was wondering this myself. Do we need special bedding or can we just put the bedding from the coop in a tub, water it and put worms in?

 

[gettinaclue]

We have a worm factory ordered from online. I just wanted the worms in a plastic bin but DH surprised me with a fancy one- it has a spout at the bottom for worm tea collection).

I have also noticed they don't eat as much as they are supposed to. It is very easy to over feed them if you get to carried away.

Watch out for fruit flies. We had an infestation we (thought) successfully fought off and then another we didn't (I think just a continuation of the same). We ended up just dumping it all in the garden and compost heap and giving everything a good scrub and then starting fresh with new worms.

When they sent the worms to us, the sent what looked like compacted coconut husk with them for their bedding. It was like a brick, soak it , spread it out with newspaper or whatever and put them in.

The directions I got said to throw a bit of dirt in from time to time since they need grit.

I kept mine in the kitchen and I never ever had a smell from it.

 

[HEChicken]

Years ago I bought a worm set up for about $20 that included the tote, bedding (rip off - the bedding was just shredded newspaper - live and learn ) and a quantity of worms. It was so successful. The instructions said they prefer to a dark environment at a steady temperature so I kept them in my basement and once a week or so, carried down some kitchen scraps and buried them just under the surface. Within months, there was no trace of the newspaper bedding - the whole thing was just beautiful worm castings, to which I continued to add kitchen scraps.

At that time I used a product called Swheat in the cat litter box, which is just finely cracked wheat - no chemicals. So one day I had the bright idea of adding collections from the cat litter to the worm bin since they were side by side and that would save me carting it up to the trash. Big mistake. The worms hated it and for the first time, tried to escape. Many others died (possibly from ammonia poisoning???)

Anyway, I took what remained and dumped it into my vegie garden. The garden loved the worm castings and to this day there are huge numbers of worms in the garden so it was not for naught. I've still got the worm bin and keep meaning to order some more red wigglers and start over but haven't got to it yet.

 

[ranchhand]

Just saw this on BYC a while ago, thought it was pretty cool.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=468073

 

[valmom]

I have a worm bin- I agree they don't eat nearly as much as people say they do! I've had them about 2 years. I harvest them for the hens, and some for the garden every year. They are certainly easy- feed and forget. Unfortunately, SO seems to think that every living thing in the house is a pet. I'm not really allowed to feed them out to the girls So, I cull and set them free in the garden when their numbers get too high. I'm actually thinking of making a compost pile in the corner of the chicken compound and adding worms to that.

 

[kimlove2]

The magic worm bedding LOOKS like a bunch of finely shredded newpapers, but it says it's not. Also, I was thinking about getting a couple of containers of red wigglers from one of the local bait shops around. they have those and night crawlers as well. would this be good or should I just mail order through a 'worm dealer' ?

 

[k0xxx]

... was thinking about getting a couple of containers of red wigglers from one of the local bait shops around. they have those and night crawlers as well. would this be good or should I just mail order through a 'worm dealer' ?

The bait shops get them from the Worm Dealers, so if you are going to start with a few, then getting them from the bait shop is fine. If you want to start with a larger amount, it may be cheaper to get them through a dealer.

I'd use the Red Wigglers for the garden, and if you are using them as bait, I'd go with the night crawlers. IMHO

 

[mlynd]

I want them for both bait and the garden so will night crawlers work or can I mix them?? and kOxxx I love how u did ur worm bins it sounds like that will work for what we want