Does anyone else ever feed waxworms?

[fluffydust]

I sometimes give my finches some waxworms.

They really don't like mealworms, they tolerate them but clearly find them unsettling.

Waxworms however, oh the beeping!! They are full of joy when I put some on the cage floor.
They eat them like a tube of yogurt, leaving the skins behind.

My tame female zebra finch unfortunately likes to bring me a waxworm and throw it down my top... I have a feeling she is either offering me some, or trying to get me to hold it or chew it up for her.. ugh..

If you haven't tried yours on waxworm before and you are in a shop that sells reptile food, get a tub! Its well worth it, they love it, the extra protein is good sometimes if a bit fatty so I don't give very often and its amazing watching how the different birds eat them. My male Bengalese has a very good technique, chewing back and forth like hes playing a waxworm harmonica.

Best of all, they don't turn into beetles, they turn into moths, and it takes ages so no crazy beetles!

[MiaCarter]

fluffydust -- te he he....I got a chuckle out of your tame hen tossing a waxworm down your top. She's sharing! LOL

I've tried waxworms and my guys enjoyed them, though they were freezedried.

I have a hard time finding them (and never in the bird section; always in the reptile area); otherwise I'd offer them more often.

[fluffydust]

Definitely worth getting a pot if you can ever get them fresh, very funny how exciting they find them!

And yes, how sweet of Baby to 'share' her waxworm with me.. it has been multiple times ive ended up with a decapitated grub chucked down my top, its... very 'kind' of her..ahem

Mr Ben the Bengalese likes to steal the ready beheaded ones from the other finches, lazy sod.

Something brilliant about watching birds trying to eat different things. I also buy the 'living' salad trays you can get, lettuce sprouting out of a tray of compost, and I put that in the bottom of the cage, they love it! Mr Ben likes to hang upside down picking bits off but the rest just dive straight in. They have also been seen using the compost as a nesting cement lol

Im not sure there is a lot of nutrition in those living salads, its not dark green leafy veg, but I do give them dried seaweed in their mix and also some chopped baby spinach leaves when I grow them in the summer. They weren't keen on the watercress I grew though.


Does anyone have any success with fruits? I have tried mine with all kind of fruit, they will pick at a banana but only if Im trying to eat it myself, and they seem to quite enjoy pomegranate if only for getting to the seeds.. but any other fruit they just wont eat.

Any suggestions?

[jebediah]

I've given mealworms as a treat but never waxworms. I would be worried about the fat content. I know for my reptiles, I'm told to avoid waxworms as much as possible simply because there is no nutritional value. I suppose it would be a good treat every once in a while though.

[lovezebs]

fluffydust

Some of my guys love live mealworms, especially the Parrot Finches, the Star Finches, the Owls, Cut Throat, and the little Waxbills.

Usually the rest of the kids are not much on them, but I have seen Gouldians, Canaries, and occasionally the odd Zebra and Society pick at them.

I do also buy the freeze dried mealworms, crush them, and mix them into my hard boiled eggs (which everyone (even my fussy Budgies) enjoy.

As for Waxworms, I haven't tried them yet. They tend to be almost double the price of the mealworms. Maybe for Christmas .

[fluffydust]

Yes mine are an occasional treat particularly when they are brooding eggs or are poorly.

My local kennelgate pet shop does 3 tubs for a fiver the same as the live mealworms and crickets etc.

My finches just waste mealworms and wont eat dead ones at all! They absolutely go nuts for waxworms, definitely a great Christmas present for them if you are soppy like me and buy all your pets Christmas presents!!! (my dog even has a santa stocking!!!)

Oh dear, that's childless couples for you!

[lovezebs]

fluffydust

Not childless, but still spoil the pets rotten. My oldest dog, even knows how to open his Christmas presents.

[slwatson]

I almost bought some wax worms for my insect eaters, but they seemed so big compared to the meal worms, I decided not to try them. I do buy fresh and freeze dried meal worms, freeze dried blood worms, and some really great insect food I found on Amazon, and feed that to my insect eaters. They love it!