Silkworms? A few questions?

[Oski]

Hi all, Silkworms are quite hard to get hold of here, but i have found a new company selling eggs only at the moment.

I am going to order 1000 of them,

I have a few questions, they sell the mullberry chow in , 200g or 1kg, what would i need for them? as if i buy 1kg will it be over kill? will 200g be fine for a while?

thanks

 

[Miss Lily]

I have never bought the eggs, but I know they are available. Silkies are frustratingly difficult to get hold of in the UK! I considered breeding them, but couldn't even get the worms to a size where they would pupate.

I had enough trouble trying to raise the 100 small silkies that I got! They do eat quite a bit - I was told that the chow can be frozen, so that may be an idea if you buy the larger quantity. It can be a lot of work though - they need to be kept really clean - I kept mine in crix tubs with plastic mesh wedged in so their poop would fall trough, but they didn't really thrive that well! I might try again when the weather is a bit warmer!

 

[pssh]

People here say that you need one pound of chow to feed 100 silkies all the way up until they are ready to start spinning.

 

[Oski]

I have never bought the eggs, but I know they are available. Silkies are frustratingly difficult to get hold of in the UK! I considered breeding them, but couldn't even get the worms to a size where they would pupate.

I had enough trouble trying to raise the 100 small silkies that I got! They do eat quite a bit - I was told that the chow can be frozen, so that may be an idea if you buy the larger quantity. It can be a lot of work though - they need to be kept really clean - I kept mine in crix tubs with plastic mesh wedged in so their poop would fall trough, but they didn't really thrive that well! I might try again when the weather is a bit warmer!

Hi, do you think 1000 may be too much for starters? if the chow can be frozen that will be good, i will find out, there is a new company just started, they seem good prices on the eggs.thanks

 

[Oski]

People here say that you need one pound of chow to feed 100 silkies all the way up until they are ready to start spinning.

Hi 1 pound = 453.59237 grams so i think im going to need the 1kg or less eggs lol,

Is the hatch rate good/bad for them? like if i get 1000 eggs are they all going to hatch? or are they a bit hit and miss? thanks

 

[Miss Lily]

I think I read on here before that you don't have to hatch them all at once, but I may have that confused with something else, lol!

 

[Oski]

I think I read on here before that you don't have to hatch them all at once, but I may have that confused with something else, lol!

Lol, yeah i think you can hatch them in batches, so might be handy, i have some dubai roaches tommorrow hopefuly, so some silkys will be good for a change than, crickets/locusts.

 

[kpritch17]

If I were you, I would get the 1kg. They eat more than you can imagine! I bought 250 eggs and got 1/2 pound dry food which makes 2 pounds of chow for them. The food went so fast! Tried to keep some to cocoon and only three did because the food ran out. The more food the better...

Also, I don't know how many chameleons or other reptiles you are feeding the silkies to, but 250 was way too many for 2 juvenile panthers to handle. Try to hatch them in smaller batches if you can!

 

[pssh]

Mine two guys eat a lot and went through 75 in a little longer than two weeks with very few other feeders. (they eat every other day, but when they were younger they would go through 75 smalls in about a week and a half while using other feeders.) I use silkies for other pets and occationally a friend will want to split an order, so I usually end up buying a lot.

 

[Oski]

If I were you, I would get the 1kg. They eat more than you can imagine! I bought 250 eggs and got 1/2 pound dry food which makes 2 pounds of chow for them. The food went so fast! Tried to keep some to cocoon and only three did because the food ran out. The more food the better...

Also, I don't know how many chameleons or other reptiles you are feeding the silkies to, but 250 was way too many for 2 juvenile panthers to handle. Try to hatch them in smaller batches if you can!

Thanks for that, lol i only have two young veileds, and a possible panther in a month or two, so i think 1000 does actually seem way too much lol,

They do a kit on there, with food 250 eggs 2x tubs, petri dish, mesh, i might be better off with that,

 

[summoner12]

i am gonna pick up 25000 eggs today I think.... They do eat a lot. I have a couple of lbs left of dry chow...

The petri dish and mesh are a big help when hatching. it is best to use wax paper once hatched.