How to Raise Mealworms for Chicken Feed: A Beginner’s Guide

Toss a few live mealworms into your chicken run and you will quickly learn something important.

Your chickens can move fast when they want to.

Heads go down. Wings flap. Somebody makes an offended squawk because another hen got there first. Within seconds, every worm is gone.

Mealworms are one of those treats chickens go wild for. They give your flock a little extra protein, keep bored birds busy, and make a handy reward when you need everybody back in the coop before dark.

The trouble is buying dried mealworms can get expensive. Especially once your chickens decide they deserve them every day.

That is where raising your own mealworms comes in.

It sounds a little strange at first. You are, after all, starting a small colony of beetles and larvae in your house, garage, or shed. But it is much simpler than it sounds. You do not need fancy equipment. You do not need much space. And once you get the routine down, the colony mostly takes care of itself.

Here is how to get started.

First, A Quick Word About Feeding Mealworms to Chickens

Mealworms are a treat and a supplement. They are not a replacement for a good layer feed, flock feed, clean water, grit, and calcium for laying hens.

Think of them like chicken candy with some useful nutrition attached.

They are great for:

Treating your hens after you collect eggs
Getting chickens to come when called
Keeping birds busy during rainy or snowy days
Encouraging natural scratching and foraging
Giving your flock a small boost of extra protein during a molt

Just do not go overboard. Your chickens still need most of their calories and nutrients from a balanced feed.

A small handful scattered through the run goes a long way. It gives your birds something to hunt for without filling them up on treats.

Why Raising Your Own Mealworms Makes Sense

A mealworm colony will not make you completely independent from store-bought chicken feed. Let us be honest about that right from the start.

But it can give you a steady supply of fresh treats at a low cost.

You are mainly feeding the colony inexpensive dry grains, plus small scraps of produce for moisture. The mealworms eat. They grow. Some become beetles. The beetles lay eggs. Then the whole cycle starts again.

The best part is that a colony can live in a few plastic tubs on a shelf.

You can keep one in:

A laundry room
A mudroom
A closet
A heated garage
A basement
A utility room
A warm shed

If you have room for three shallow storage bins, you have room to raise mealworms.

Get Familiar With the Mealworm Life Cycle

Before you set up a bin, it helps to know what you are looking at.

Mealworms go through four stages:

Egg
Larva, which is the mealworm stage
Pupa
Darkling beetle

The mealworms you buy at a feed store or online are larvae. This is the stage your chickens eat.

As they grow, mealworms shed their skins several times. Eventually, they curl up and turn into pale little pupae. Pupae look a bit like tiny white aliens, but do not let that throw you. They are simply changing into beetles.

A pupa does not eat. It will sit quietly for a while, though it may wiggle if you touch it.

After that, it becomes a darkling beetle.

The beetles mate and lay tiny eggs in the bedding. Those eggs hatch into a new generation of mealworms.

That is the whole system.

The one thing to remember is this: mealworms, pupae, and beetles do better when you separate them. Large mealworms and adult beetles may eat eggs and pupae if everybody lives in one bin.

You can begin with one container if you are trying things out. But a three-bin setup makes life much easier.

What You Need to Start Raising Mealworms

You do not need an expensive insect farm. A simple setup works fine.

Here is what you will need.

Three Plastic Bins

Clear plastic storage bins work well. Shallow, wide containers are easier to manage than deep ones.

You will use one bin for each stage:

Growing mealworms
Pupae
Adult beetles

Smooth-sided plastic matters because mealworms cannot climb it well.

You can use lids, but do not seal the bins airtight. Mealworms need airflow. Drill small holes in the lid or cut a larger opening and cover it with fine screen.

Dry Bedding and Food

The bedding is also the mealworms’ main food source.

Good options include:

Wheat bran
Rolled oats
Oat bran
Plain cereal grains
Unmedicated chick starter or chicken feed, if that fits your setup

Wheat bran is a popular choice because it is fine, easy to sift, and works well as food and bedding.

Start with about 2 to 3 inches of dry bedding in each active bin.

A Starter Batch of Live Mealworms

You can buy live mealworms from many farm stores, bait shops, or feeder-insect suppliers.

Starting with a larger group gives you a better head start. A tiny cup of mealworms can work, but it will take longer before you have enough to harvest for your chickens.

If you want a useful colony sooner, begin with several hundred to a thousand live mealworms.

Moisture Foods

Mealworms need moisture, but they should not live in wet bedding.

Small pieces of fresh produce work well:

Carrot
Potato
Apple
Sweet potato
Squash
Cucumber
Leafy greens

Carrot is a favorite for many keepers because it lasts longer than wetter foods.

A Small Sifter

A flour sifter, fine colander, or mesh screen will help you separate mealworms from frass.

Frass is the fine powdery material that builds up in the bottom of the bin. It includes waste, tiny bits of bedding, and shed skins.

You do not need a sifter on day one, but you will be glad to have one later.

Pick a Good Spot for Your Mealworm Colony

Mealworms are easygoing, but they do have preferences.

They like it warm, dark, and dry.

A temperature around 70 to 80°F usually keeps the colony moving along at a good pace. Cooler temperatures slow them down. They grow more slowly, pupate more slowly, and beetles lay fewer eggs.

That does not mean a cool room will kill your colony. It just means you may wonder why things seem to be taking forever.

Avoid placing bins:

In direct sunlight
Near a wood stove
In a freezing shed
Beside strong chemicals or pesticides
In a damp basement corner
Anywhere rats, mice, or wild birds can get into them

A properly cared-for colony should smell faintly like grain or oats. If it smells sour, moldy, or rotten, something needs attention.

Usually, the problem is too much moisture or a forgotten piece of produce.

How to Set Up Your First Mealworm Bin

This part is easy.

Step 1: Clean and Dry Your Bins

Wash the containers with hot, soapy water. Rinse them well. Then dry them completely.

You do not want leftover moisture trapped in the bottom.

Label each container if you can:

Mealworms
Pupae
Beetles

It sounds simple, but labels save you from mixing things up later.

Step 2: Add Dry Bedding

Pour 2 to 3 inches of wheat bran, oats, or your chosen bedding into the mealworm bin.

Fluff it up with your hand or a scoop. You want it loose, not packed down.

Step 3: Add Your Mealworms

Gently place your starter mealworms on top of the bedding.

They will disappear underneath almost right away. That is normal. They like to burrow.

Step 4: Add a Small Piece of Carrot or Potato

Put in one small piece of carrot or potato.

Do not toss in a whole pile of kitchen scraps. Too much fresh food is one of the fastest ways to get mold.

A good rule is to give the colony only what it can finish before it softens or spoils.

Check the produce every day or two.

Step 5: Put the Bin in Its New Home

Set the bin in a warm, dim spot. Then let the mealworms settle in.

That is it. You have started a mealworm colony.

The Simple Routine That Keeps a Colony Going

Mealworms do not need daily chores. Still, they do better when you check on them a few times each week.

Here is the basic routine.

Check Moisture Food Every Day or Two

Pull out any produce that looks soft, slimy, or moldy.

Replace it with a fresh, small piece.

If the bedding ever feels damp, stop adding moisture foods for a few days. Remove anything wet and add fresh dry bran or oats.

Keep Dry Food Available

The substrate is food, so make sure there is always enough of it.

As the colony grows, you will see the bedding level drop. Add more dry material as needed.

Look for Pupae

Every few days, scan the mealworm bin for pale pupae.

Pick them out and move them to the pupa bin.

This small step protects them. It also helps you keep track of how the colony is progressing.

The pupa bin does not need much bedding. A paper towel on the bottom works. Some keepers use a very thin layer of bran.

Pupae do not need food while they are changing into beetles.

Move New Beetles to Their Own Bin

When a pupa turns into a beetle, it will start out pale. Over the next few days, it darkens into a black or dark brown adult darkling beetle.

Move those beetles into the beetle bin.

Give them a layer of dry bedding and a small piece of carrot or potato for moisture. You can add pieces of egg carton or cardboard if you like. The beetles will crawl around on it, and it gives them more surface area.

Soon, they will mate and lay eggs in the bedding.

A Handy Trick: Rotate Your Beetle Bins

This is one of the easiest ways to keep production moving.

Leave adult beetles in one bin with fresh bedding for a few weeks. During that time, they lay eggs throughout the substrate.

Then move the adult beetles into a new bin with fresh bedding.

Leave the old bin alone.

The eggs in that old bedding will hatch. Tiny mealworms will begin growing there.

This keeps your colony organized by age. It also gives you batches of mealworms instead of one big mixed-up crowd.

Label each bin with the date you started it. You will thank yourself later.

When Can You Start Harvesting Mealworms?

This depends on how many mealworms you started with, how warm the colony stays, and how well you manage it.

Do not expect a brand-new colony to feed a large flock right away.

Mealworm farming is more of a slow build. You are creating a breeding population first. Once you have several bins going at different stages, you will have a much more reliable supply.

When you begin seeing plenty of larger mealworms, you can harvest some for your chickens.

The key word is some.

Do not harvest every large mealworm you find. Those big larvae are the ones most likely to pupate soon. If you feed all of them to your chickens, you will not have enough future beetles to keep the colony growing.

At first, be conservative.

Let the colony build. Harvest a few. Leave plenty behind to become pupae and beetles.

How to Feed Live Mealworms to Your Chickens

Fresh mealworms are easy to feed.

You can:

Toss a small handful into the run
Scatter them through deep litter
Put them in a shallow dish
Use them as a reward when you call your chickens
Drop a few in the coop after your flock comes in for the evening

Scattering them in the bedding is a good way to make the treat last longer. Your chickens have to scratch and hunt for every one.

That is great entertainment for a flock stuck inside during bad weather.

If you keep a large flock, do not feel like every bird needs a big serving. Even a small amount creates excitement.

How to Clean a Mealworm Bin

Eventually, the bedding in your mealworm bin turns dusty and full of frass.

This is normal.

When the bin looks mostly like fine powder instead of fresh grain, it is time to sift it.

Here is the basic process:

Set a fine mesh sifter over a clean tub or bucket.
Pour in a small amount of bedding.
Shake gently.
Let the fine frass fall through.
Keep the larger mealworms, beetles, and usable bedding.
Move the mealworms into fresh substrate.

Do this outside if possible. Frass can be dusty.

Some gardeners add insect frass to compost or garden beds. If you want to use it, start small and treat it like any other soil amendment.

The main goal is to keep your colony clean, dry, and uncrowded.

Common Mealworm Problems, and the Easy Fixes

Every mealworm keeper runs into a few issues. Most are simple to correct.

The Bin Smells Bad

A healthy colony should not stink.

If yours does, check for:

Old produce
Mold
Wet bedding
Too many dead insects
Poor airflow

Remove anything spoiled. Add dry bedding. Use smaller pieces of moisture food next time.

Mold Is Growing in the Bin

Mold almost always means too much moisture.

Move healthy mealworms into a clean container with fresh dry bedding. Throw away moldy food and badly contaminated substrate.

Then cut back on fresh produce. A small carrot slice is plenty for most bins.

The Colony Is Moving Slowly

If your mealworms seem to be taking ages to grow, check the temperature.

A cold garage can slow everything down. If possible, move the bin somewhere warmer.

Also make sure the colony has enough dry food. Thin, small mealworms may need more substrate or better conditions.

Pupae Keep Disappearing

Mealworms and beetles sometimes eat pupae.

This is why the pupa bin matters.

Check the growing bin every few days and move pupae as soon as you find them.

Tiny Bugs Have Appeared

Grain mites can show up when bedding stays damp.

If you see tiny moving specks, clean the bin. Replace the bedding. Reduce moisture. Improve airflow.

Keeping your colony dry is your best defense.

Can You Keep Mealworms Outside?

You can, but it is usually harder.

Mealworms do not enjoy freezing temperatures, extreme summer heat, wet weather, or wandering pests. An outdoor colony can also attract mice, ants, and other unwanted visitors.

A protected indoor spot is more dependable.

If you use a shed or garage, make sure temperatures stay within a reasonable range. A cold winter bin may survive, but it will slow down enough that you may not get many mealworms to feed your chickens.

Can Chickens Eat the Beetles Too?

They sure can.

Chickens will eat darkling beetles, pupae, and mealworms.

But do not feed all your beetles to the flock. The beetles are your egg-layers. Without them, the colony stops producing.

Think of beetles as your breeding stock. Keep enough of them working in the beetle bin, and you will keep getting new batches of mealworms.

Start Small, Then Grow at Your Own Pace

The best way to raise mealworms is to keep it simple at first.

Start with a few bins. Learn what your colony needs. Get used to sorting pupae, replacing carrot slices, and sifting old bedding.

Once you see mealworms coming along in several bins at once, you can expand.

You may decide to add more containers. You may set up a plastic drawer tower. You may create separate bins for each age group.

Or you may decide one small colony gives your chickens all the treats they need.

Either way, the basics stay the same:

Keep the colony warm.
Keep it dry.
Give it fresh dry bedding.
Remove spoiled produce.
Separate pupae and beetles.
Leave enough mealworms behind to become the next generation.

Give it a little time, and you will have a steady supply of wriggly chicken treats sitting right on a shelf.

Your hens will be very glad you did.