Superworm substrate and gutload in one

What Im keeping superworms/kingworms and mealworms in:

3 cups ground alfalfa
3 -6 cups wheat bran
1/4 - 1/2 cup crushed / ground whole barley
1/2 cup oats and/or stabalized rice bran
1/4 - 1/2 cup powdered kelp (or 1/4 each kelp and spirulina)
1 cup air dried, shredded dandelion leaves
1/4 cup course ground seeds (sunflower seeds, sesame, squash, millet)
1/4 cup of ground (dead and dry) garry oak and maple tree leaves (dont overdo the leaves - too many tanins not good for cham)
3 tablespoons organic dried coconut

Additionally: add daily (on top of dry meal) small pieces of carrot, apple, orange, fresh dandelion, steamed squash, papaya, arugula, etc. Remove uneaten "wet" produce and replace with fresh every few days (do not give too much "wet" food or the substrate will go moldy or attract mites)

All of the above plus the worms are in a large plastic bucket, with about three inches between the top and the surface of the substrate/bedding. No lid. Fluctuating room temp (warmer in the day than at night)

* edit - supers that are for growing to beetles I am now also giving chunks of punky wood.
  • Like
Reactions: RUKIS420 and Brad

Comments

update: made a new batch with an adjusted recipie this past weekend. I increased crushed Barley, and added stabilized Rice Bran instead of oats in this batch. Barley and stabalized rice bran are very nutritious - a source of vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids like tryptophan, Omega fatty acids, soluble and insoluble fiber, phytosterols, antioxidants.
 
What is stabised rice bran? and I see you use dried coconut...does coconut oil have any use in gut loading?
 
regular, raw rice bran has a short shelf life/goes rancid fast due to a high fat content and lipase enzyme. So to prevent this, it undergoes a stabilization process - subjecting the rice bran to heat and pressure ti inactivate the enzyme without significantly destroying the nutritional value of the rice bran.

Coconut isnt an important part of the gutload. I wouldnt add oil.
 
Thanks! I would presume that stabilised rice bran would be available through health food stores.... I will keep my eyes open for it.
 

Blog entry information

Author
sandrachameleon
Views
9,430
Comments
7
Last update

More entries in General

More entries from sandrachameleon

  • January 2015 Food Log
    Diary of what the chameleons ate this month. Supplement is currently three parts sticky...
  • October Gutloads
    what I fed the roaches and crickets. Pillbugs, snails, Supers and mealworms got similar fair...
  • May Prey
    Log of Feeder prey offered to adult male panthers and a 1 year old male veiled during the month...
  • April Gutloads
    This months Dry Gutload: a dry meal made from ground raw sunflower and pumpkin seeds, dried...
  • Todays gutload
    intended for the hissers and dubia all mixed up coarse chopped with a mini food processor (not...

Share this entry

Back
Top Bottom