Some growers buy relatively expensive high protein feeds and swear by them, but in most cases I can’t see this expense justified. Nevertheless, one highly successful grower of fishing worms has studied his worms and found it necessary. This is because the food he has available is protein deficient and therefore he must supply a supplement.
This is a good example of the necessity of understanding your worms so that you are able to supply the best management under your conditions. Do not fall into the error of copying somebody without first accumulating some knowledge of the broad picture.
Some Foods used as Protein Supplements and their Values
Barley about 11 per cent weight for weight
Wheat above 11 per cent (if hard)
Wheat below 11 per cent (if soft)
Flour about 13 per cent
Bran about 15 per cent protein
Lucerne dust about 18 per cent
Saltbush about 22 per cent
Powdered milk about 30 per cent
Soybean meal about 45 per cent
Peanut meal about 50 per cent
Blood Meal about 80 per cent
Grains or other solids must be thoroughly crushed before feeding to worms. Apply them to the top of the bed only and no thicker than 25 mm, Protein boosters must never be mixed into the bed or overlaid with fresh manure or they will quickly ferment and sour, driving your worms from the bed or causing Sour Crop.
Your Local Assets
Your best food will vary according to your location, i.e the industries close to where you are operating your worm farm. If are in a fruit-growing district, for example, there may be large quantities of rotting fruit available periodically. Your worms attack this feed with gusto However, large volumes of citrus are a problem because of their acidity, which could be too much for the worms to handle comfortably. You would need to use this material as a small volume of the total food.
Paper and cardboard waste from the supermarket is quite good worm food. You will need to soak it for twenty-foul hours and tear it into strips — the smaller the better — before feeding it to the worms The soak water is valuable food also because the cardboard is bonded with soluble animal glues.
Or you can try a potato processing plant which may be pleased to use you as an avenue for disposal of potato skins. In fact, all food manufacturers have waste disposal problems which you can help solve
As a first step, make up a list of all the businesses dealing in foodstuffs in your district. From producers to processors through to retailers, restaurants and hotels. You may be surprised at the potential sources of good food you have available to you.
When you go along to enquire for feed for your worms, be a bit smart Don’t just walk into a processing plant and say you want worm food, but tailor your approach to the point of view that you can assist with the plant’s waste management problem and could save it some money. In most cases, it will be costing the plant money to dispose of its waste Ask how much this is as part of your conversation. In real terms, it will rarely be less than $20 per tonne, often more, Offer to take delivery of this waste at a cost of, say, $10 per tonne. You are offering to halve the waste disposal cost and it would be a strange plant manager who was not interested in negotiating with you You may even get them to deliver it to your door at your price. Certainly, you can expect them to cooperate with you as you learn how best to feed their waste to your worms and develop your worm population to the level where you can offer them a complete service
First work out how much food you will need when your worm farm is fully operational and how much you will need at each step along the way. Then approach your potential suppliers. Be honest with them. Don’t offer to rake more than you can use but, on the other hand, make sure you have enough. It takes time, effort and money to set up a large-scale worm farming operation and you will be doing this to make money — as much money as possible, Remember that you are not just entering the worm fanning business, but also the waste management industry which, on its own, is one of the fastest growing in the world Be practical and realistic in your thinking. Your business is also a community service and you should take every opportunity of minding people that you are turning an unwanted problematical waste, which is a potential source of pollution, into a valuable and useful commodity,
It would be sensible, before you make any heavy commitment consult with your local government Health Surveyor about any regulations you will need to meet,
