Freeze-dried Bloodworms - Update 12/12

[Sally]

For those who have started feeding their birds freeze-dried bloodworms, I have found the best price (for now) on Bio-Pure Freeze-dried Bloodworms (Hikari) - 1.76 oz - $10.39 - at thatpetplace.com. Look under fish supplies - food - freeze-dried. They also have shipping at $5.79 no matter how large the order (limited time only) - be sure to put in the promo code on the first page of your shopping cart. I stocked up, as the can I have now says it is good till 06/2011.

[Pukasand]

Whoa, thanks Sally. My birds love them and I think they provide some of the extra protein they need. Plus, they love a variety. Every morning there is a mad dash to the 'tray of the day'. My female Canary even begs at the front of her cage while I'm assemblying the trays. She hops up and down and seems to be yelling, "me..me... me!". I'll check out that sale pronto, hope they have the krill, also. Thanks, again.

[CandoAviary]

I get my fish supplies from Big Als out of Florida sometimes.(shipping cheap for me) They are selling 9.45 oz for $49.99 for those who want to order a lot of bloodworms, they have krill, mysis, etc.
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ct ... worms945oz

[Ursula]

I never thought of feeding them to my finches! I have some at home for my freshwater fish. (The angelfish love them!)

Do you put them in a dish and let them thaw, or how do you feed them?

[franny]

I tried the frozen and my GBs wouldn't touch them.

Most of us feed the freeze dried - the GB and the Society love them. I just sprinkle a few of the dried worms in with their dried commercial eggfood. The Society finch goes nuts and immediately starts digging them out of the eggfood!

The freeze dried come in a can.

[Ursula]

I have to try the freeze dried. Somehow it seems yucky to me to feed the frozen bloodworms to the finches. They are a pretty nasty mess when they immediately start to thaw in the warm water. But the fish gobble them all up so quickly that there's nothing left after a few minutes.

Still would like to know though how you guys feed them...

[franny]

I think some just feed mixed in their homemade eggfood. I just either put in with the dried eggfood in a treat dish, or sprinkle some on the floor of the cage. They love to root around in the hay on the bottom. Just try to place them away from perches. If you don't use hay or some other form of substrate, they will just get scattered out of the cage, by the birds flying around, as they are very light. So a dish is probably best.

[Ursula]

I don't worry about scattering, I don't have cages but a walk-in aviary.

[franny]

I don't worry about scattering, I don't have cages but a walk-in aviary.

Lucky! Sure wish I had one. I'm sure they will love the bloodworms. That's a good price Sally found.

Candice, if I bought that large can from Big Al's, I'd be 120 before my two finches ever ate it all!

[Pukasand]

I don't like dealing with the live worms at all. I even tried the Phoenix worms, which don't crawl out of the dish like mealworms, but are very expensive. I just don't want any worms in my fridge. I put the freeze dried bloodworms in with my eggfood, plus some along side for those birds that need to see/eat worms and need extra for chicks. I have a 'Bullet' that I whizzed the krill into small pieces that I use also. My birds love both the f/d bloodworms and krill, plus I use the Can O Worms Mini Mealies.

[Sally]

Pukasand, I ordered the smaller can of other Hikari selections--krill, plankton, daphnia, brine shrimp, spirulina brine shrimp, tubifex worms. I figure I will try small amounts of these out to see what else they may like. What I like about the bloodworms is that they are 65% protein, without danger of parasites or bacteria. This may sound terrible, but I will try them out on less expensive birds before I give them to my Berries! Sort of like the kings always had food-tasters, so if there was any poison in the food, the king wouldn't be harmed.

I sprinkle the bloodworms on top of the eggfood, or sometimes I mix them into the eggfood that I have given to one cage. Most of the birds just love them, and the Strawberries would eat these first, then fly up to their nest, so those babies were getting good food.

[Pukasand]

Sally, that's exactly what I did, used the Societys as testers. I have read that some birds, specifically Cordons, have to see a continuous supply of protein, ie mealies, etc. before they feel it's safe, foodwise, to produce young. To those birds I make sure they see the fd bloodworms, mealworms, plus I put it into their eggfood. I use 1 whole egg w/shell plus 2 extra yolks. I then add the krill (which I grind down, they wouldnt eat them whole), bloodworms, some sort of binder like organic buckwheat, steel cut oatmeal or cornmeal. Plus I sprinkle Palm Oil Meal, dried Kelp and Bee Pollen over the top. They get this on their 'tray' with some Miracle Meal and the extra Mini Mealies, fd bloodworms and Insect pupae. Also, fresh fruit, veggies and greens every am. They may not be reproducing, but they're certainly wellfed and fat! Besides all this, they get Herb Salad,too. I am 'bird poor'. Let me know how your guys like the new kind you ordered. If they take to it, I'll get some for mine. They like a variety. Thanks, again for the site.

[cindy]

I found this on Dr. Foster and Smith...is this the krill you guys are talking about? They have bloodworms also. Don't know about the prices compared to what you found as reasonable.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... 4304000000

I was using live mealworms then went to Can O'Mealies which the shaftail are feeding to their young. Always looking for better ways to feed the chicks. The bloodworms sound like a good alternative.

[Pukasand]

The best thing about Hikari is that it is bacteria and parasite free.

[monotwine]

I would never in a million years have thought to give my birds bloodworms! I feed them regularly to fish, but never to birds.
This is what is so great about this forum and information transfirmation in general.

Hikari - one Q regarding this. What makes Hikari different? Is this a name brand or are all frozen bloodworms bacteria & parasite free?

I don't get the same stuff / name brands in SA and don't want to introduce problems into my aviary.
We get freeze dried Tubifex worms. Would that do?

I am always looking for a way to get more protein and live food into my birds. I am the worst meal worm breeder on earth.