Gut loading silkworms

[Boygeorge27]

I've read some reviews on gut loading silkworms. Some say not to and some say to do it just wondered what you all do? Thanks

 

[KapitalJ]

I'm sure you can try. I think the only other foods they will eat are shredded carrot and dandelion.. mine only get the chow.
I might try to give them some dandelion in the near future, just to see.

 

[Boygeorge27]

OK thanks I'll give it a try

 

[Extensionofgreen]

If you have access to mulberry leaves, feeding them that will give them a complete nutrient profile, since their bodies are designed to extract all of the needed elements from one food source. The chow they feed them is based from powdered mulberry and is the next best thing. While not harmful, gut loading a feeder that is feeding on its natural diet is somewhat redundant.

 

[Boygeorge27]

Thanks I'll keep a look out for some

 

[cyberlocc]

I would actually like to raise the question if dandelion would be suitable? I have read that it is okay to feed them other stuff there second half of life.

I have been considering raising silkworms, and there are no Mulberrys anywhere where I live. However Dandelion is a weed here and it grows EVERYWHERE!, so that is a easy to find free feeder for me lol.

Best part is I live less than a block from the "Rim" which is a large national park, that is covered with Dandelion, they do not use any pesticides there at all, and we go for walks out there often.

I actually plan when it gets warmer to go out there alot more and try to cath me some stick bugs to breed. I cant find them for sale anywhere. I have seen a few people on forums selling the Indian sticks ect, however those are illegal (Loosely Enforced?)

But there is a few species native here, 1 being a stick and I have seen a few that look like leaves. Not sure if I would be able to find them though. Or how high in the 100 foot pine trees they would hang out at.

 

[alphakenc]

Silkworm rely heavily on the mulberry leaves,other choice might be a temporary thing ,without the mulberry diet,they wont survive too long.

 

[cyberlocc]

Silkworm rely heavily on the mulberry leaves,other choice might be a temporary thing ,without the mulberry diet,they wont survive too long.

Well I did find this little gem that is very helpful . I didnt mean only feed them Dandelion just feed them that sometimes or alot of the time. To save some $$$ .

Especially as the old Chinese mulberry chow was not even all mulberry, nor mostly. It contained a bunch of soy and other junk.

Anyway here is this for OP and Me .

I did an experiment a couple years ago, raising some on various percentages of mulberry based food vs other greens (primarily dandelion)

I found that one half to two thirds of their meals can be non-mulberry without any issues whatsoever. I raised from egg to moth and through the cycle once again with 50% or less of the diet being non-mulberry (mostly mulberry chow and dandelion, but also a few fresh mulberry leaves and grape vine leaves etc).

But I found that if they ate almost entirely non-mulberry food they didnt all do as well as those offered at least 25% muberry based food.

If you are having die-offs, have a look at the wetness of the chow and the humidity of the containers. I found too much dampness was not a good thing for silkies.

I have seen a few other places, that since this she feeds 50/50 chow and dandelion.

 

[alphakenc]

Well , I heard the "emergency replacement "is the carrot until u find some chow or leaves of the mulberry,that is great to know,thanks.

 

[Alexander1]

I give mine carrot and they turn slightly orange, but die soon after.

 

[MeruJack]

I give mine carrot and they turn slightly orange, but die soon after.

I am feeding 2 & 3 month old jackson's babies. They are eating 1/8" crickets, baby Dubia roaches, and young silkworms. I buy eggs and raise my silks on chow only. However, lately I have been putting a piece of carrot (rather than a piece of sticky fruit) in each baby's enclosure so that the silks and other feeders stay put and have something to munch on until they are consumed by the baby cham. The young silks are still munching away and it's so much cleaner than using a piece of orange or banana.

 

[Alexander1]

The silks I put in the enclosure are usually eaten before they move around too much, but sure, I thought the member was referring to raising the silkworms on carrot, the silkworms lasted about 2-3 days if that when I expiramented with gut loading them.

 

[alphakenc]

Like I stated before Silkworm rely heavily on the mulberry leaves and mulberry chow,other choice might be a temporary thing ,without the mulberry diet,they wont survive too long.
The carrot is a temporary gutload it will turn the silkworms in orange color,and it wont be their staple diet.