The Worm Debate

Annabelle · Post by **Annabelle** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 9:13 am

Has anyone ever tried feeding earthworms to thier birds? When I had my axolotyl I was told to feed more earthworms and keep mealworms to a minimum because mealworms and waxworms were very fatty and hard to digest and that earthworms were very nutritionally balanced. While there would be a difference in dietary requirements between amphibians and waxbills I was just wondering if any of that assessment would hold true across the board. Would I be better off feeding earthworms while my RCCB's are nesting?

mickp · Post by **mickp** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 9:37 am

make some available to the birds and let them decide which they prefer, or rotate it day about. you may also want to consider termites as rccb's love them

Annabelle · Post by **Annabelle** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 10:01 am

Have considered termites but cant get them. Live food in my area is difficult to get and the range is limited. I can get maggots, mealworms and earthworms right now.

phoebefinch · Post by **phoebefinch** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 9:31 pm

it's been over a month since the last post, but I thought I'd give my two cents. When I was researching what to feed baby sparrows when I first brought mine in, I read that earthworms can actually do more harm than good because they can potentially harbor parasites/bacteria that could cause disease in your birds. Not many birds even eat earthworms (contrary to popular belief) other than American Robins, tanagers and a few other species.