Mealworm value (+pics)

[Ashling]

When I was feeding my baby Raven, about a year and a half ago, Ashling absolutely loved the mealworms I fed to the corvid. Recently I bought her a tub of her own. She is obsessed with them... even now she is trying to tear her way into the plastic container to get at the poor little critters. I think she'd eat them all if he could. I was wondering how many a day were healthy? I was sticking to one a day, but she loves them so much I spoilt her today and gave her about 6!
I know many parrots eat bugs in the wild... but who here feeds their parrots live insects? How nutritious are they? I know the protein value would be high... but that's the extent of my knowledge.

See the mad gleam in her eye as she devours a hapless wormy!

[Ashling]

I really need some input... I don't want to feed her too many at a time and make her ill...

[NoLimitssjca]

I have the mealworms in the fridge for the bearded dragon. I had no idea that watermelon would like them. I'll give it a shot tomorrow.

Hey, does Raven like eggs? Watermelon doesn't like them to well, only to shred. This could be a good protein source.

[Ashling]

Definitely try! Are the ones in your fridge dead? My mealworms are live. Ashling is always going after bugs- beetles, flies, ants. Oh I meant Raven in the literal sense- the big black bird! Sorry, I always write that in capitals. The Raven LOVED eggs, pecked holes in them and sipped out the contents. I cook Ashling scrambled eggs with mixed vegetables about once a week, and she loves this. Have you tried scrambled with Watermelon?

[greencinacheeks]

alrighty....so i have found alot of info on them saying they provide about 40-60% protein and the rest is fat. however it seems to vary on the level of protein. and the stats i found on them contradicts a lot of stuff said out there on the internet as to levels of protein.

after looking for a bit i found these....

____________Crickets__Mealworms__Waxworms__Superwo rms__Fly Larva
Moisture______68.96_____62.89______60.97______58.9 1______69.02
Ash___________1.52______1.20 ______ 0.97 ______1.29______ 1.24
Protein _______20.72_____18.65 _____15.40______18.92______15.32
Fat __________5.74______13.64_____20.12_______15.07___ ___5.96
Carbohydrates__3.06 ____ 3.62______ 2.54________5.81______ 8.46
mg/100g Calc._21.53 _____3.28_____13.14 _______10.80 ______17.73
mg/kg Vit. C__105.90 ____38.10_____23.60________9.80 ______9.80
Dietary Fiber___2.80 _____ 2.00______1.60________2.20 ______2.70
Calories/Fat____51.66____122.76 ___181.08_____135.63_______53.64

and then this one...:
Grubco | Nutritional Information

and this...scroll down and it has another thing on nutritional value of them:
Raising mealworms

one concern with feeding live meal worms is once swallowed they can be alive inside still and actually eat there way out or just eat the inside of the crop and cause severe damage or worse. however i think this might be referring to feeding baby birds where they would swallow it whole, unlike Ashling.
anyways. that is what i dug up on them. hope it helps!

[Ashling]

Thanks Nate! You're always so helpful! So they're very fatty- which a few months ago meant one a day, but now that Ash has her flight back I think I could incorperate a few more. I am NO GOOD at calculating these things!

I didn't know there was Ash in mealworms!

I used to boil the mealies I gave too the baby Raven so they didn't "eat her from the inside," since she ate them whole. That thought used to sicken me. Binx chews them herself, I can see her sivving them to death. But haha you're right, there's no worry for Ash... do you see how she eats them? She sucks and licks their bodily juices out and leave the empty skins all over my desk and bedroom floor -_-

Thanks again!

[greencinacheeks]

Ash is just there representing Carbon, there is Carbon in all organic matter. :)

yes, Mel that is lovely how Ashling eats them...haha
i might try and see if T would like one. never tried that sort of thing for him...hmmm

[chirpy]

I just read that description of Ash eating the meal worms whilst eating my lunch, yuk!!!!

[Loopey89]

Haha Chirpy, I was eating too. Luckily I'm used to seeing them. When feeding our lizards here, I take tweezers and pinch them right in the middle of their tummy. This keeps em from getting away and it also reassures you that if eatin whole-they will still die before gettin a chance to nibble.
Sorry for the mental image. LOL.

[NoLimitssjca]

Watermelon says "tastes like chicken". He approves!

So putting them in the fridge makes them dormant. Take them out and they begin to wiggle.

Thanks for the new food.