Live vs Dried Mealworms: What’s Best for Backyard Hens?
- Ajinkya Chopade
- 6 hours ago
- 7 min read
Feeding live or dried mealworms is one of the most popular ways to support backyard hens. The keyword feeding live mealworms to chickens appears right at the start because many owners want to know how to use insects safely. Mealworms excite hens, boost foraging behaviour, and offer rich protein. But it is important to know how much to give, how often, and in what form. When used the right way, both live and dried mealworms can support healthier hens, better feathers, and sometimes better eggs.
Live mealworms and dried mealworms both have a place in backyard poultry care. The main difference is that live worms trigger natural behaviour, while dried worms give more concentrated nutrition. This blog explains how each type works, how to store them, how to feed them, and how to avoid common mistakes. All facts are based on trusted research from poultry extension programs, the FAO, and poultry nutrition guidelines.
1. Why Live Mealworms Help Backyard Hens?
Live mealworms are a high-protein insect and a natural food that makes hens excited and active. Protein levels in mealworms range between 40% and 53%, based on research from animal nutrition studies. This makes them one of the richest natural treats you can offer your flock. Protein supports body repair, feather growth, and egg production.
Live mealworms also trigger natural foraging, which is important for healthy behaviour. Hens love to chase moving insects, scratch the ground, and search for food. According to poultry behaviour experts, this type of enrichment helps reduce boredom and improves flock activity. When hens stay active, they maintain better muscle tone and show fewer stress behaviours.
Another benefit is energy. Mealworms contain healthy fats that give hens quick fuel, especially during cold seasons. When the weather drops, hens use more energy to stay warm. A few live mealworms help support their energy needs in a safe and natural way.
2. Where to Get Live Mealworms?
Live mealworms are easy to find. You can buy them from poultry stores, reptile shops, or online sellers, or you can even grow your own colony at home. Many backyard keepers prefer reliable sources like Promeal’s live mealworms, as they offer fresh, clean, and healthy insects that hens love. Raising your own colony is also an option because it saves cost and provides a steady supply of fresh insects.
If you buy them, check that they are active, clean, and free of mould or bad smell. Fresh worms move fast and look firm. Avoid containers with dead worms or dark, wet bedding. Products from trusted brands like Promeal often make this easier by maintaining strict quality standards.
3. How to Store Live Mealworms?
Good storage keeps live mealworms healthy and extends their life. They must be kept at the right temperature with the right bedding.
Store them in:
wheat bran
oats
cornmeal
These bedding materials give them food and help absorb moisture. Keep them in a shallow container with air holes. For long storage, place them in a cool area. Cooler temperatures slow their movement, so they survive longer. Do not keep them in hot, humid places because heat causes fast death and mould.
Feed the worms slices of carrot or potato for moisture. Replace these often so they do not rot. Clean storage prevents bacteria and keeps the insects safe from your hens.
4. How to Feed Live Mealworms to Chickens?
Feeding live mealworms to chickens is simple and can be done in different ways depending on your setup. Hand feeding is great for building trust, making hens friendlier and easier to handle while also helping with training.
For natural behaviour and enrichment, scatter feeding works well because it encourages scratching and searching and provides strong mental stimulation. If you prefer a cleaner feeding area, using feeding dishes such as shallow bowls keeps everything tidy and reduces waste. All three methods are safe—just choose the one that fits your flock’s needs best.
Right Amounts of Live Mealworms
Because mealworms are very nutrient-dense, it is easy to overfeed them. Poultry nutrition guidelines recommend that treats make up no more than 5–10% of the daily diet. For most hens, this means only a small serving of mealworms.
A safe amount is:
10–15 live mealworms per hen per feeding
2–3 times per week
During special periods like molting or winter, you may give slightly more. But always keep overall treat levels low so hens continue eating their regular feed.
Safety Tips for Live Mealworm Feeding
To keep your flock healthy while feeding live mealworms, follow a few key safety rules. Do not overfeed, as too many insects can reduce their intake of essential regular feed. Always wash your hands after handling insects to maintain hygiene.
Make sure to avoid spoiled mealworms—if they smell bad or appear mushy, discard them immediately. Also, keep containers clean to prevent mould growth and contamination. Following these simple steps ensures your flock stays safe and your mealworms remain fresh.
Benefits of Live Mealworms
When used correctly, live mealworms offer several key benefits for chickens. They support better feather health during molting, encourage more activity and natural foraging behaviour, and provide extra protein during stress or cold seasons.
They also give support for egg laying when hens need additional nutrients. While live insects are not a complete diet, they play a valuable supportive role in keeping your flock healthy and active.
5. Dried Mealworms as a Protein Boost — Are They Good or Bad?
Dried mealworms are a favourite treat among chicken keepers. They are clean, lightweight, easy to store, and high in nutrition. Because moisture is removed during drying, dried mealworms have even more protein per gram than live ones. This makes them a powerful supplement when used carefully.
Dried mealworms also last for months without spoiling. This makes them perfect for small flocks or rainy seasons when outdoor insects are limited.
But like all rich treats, dried mealworms must be fed in small amounts. They are more calorie-dense than live worms, meaning hens can gain weight if they eat too many. Overweight hens lay fewer eggs, and this is supported by poultry research.
Advantages of Dried Mealworms
Dried mealworms provide several practical benefits for chicken keepers. They have a long shelf life, are easy to store and transport, and offer high protein density in a compact form.
They are also convenient to mix with regular feed, making daily feeding simple. Many poultry owners prefer dried worms because they do not move, have less smell, and are very easy to handle compared to live insects.
Even with their advantages, dried mealworms come with a few drawbacks. They are very light and easy to grab; they are easy to overfeed.
Like live worms, they also have a low calcium content, so they cannot replace balanced feed. They are not a complete diet, and hens may reduce their intake of regular layer feed if given too many dried worms. This can create nutrient gaps because dried mealworms are calorie-dense and filling.
6. Dried vs. Live Mealworms—What’s the Difference?
The biggest difference between live and dried mealworms is moisture, as removing water makes dried worms more concentrated. Live mealworms encourage natural foraging, offer lower nutrient density per gram, and require proper storage to stay healthy.
Dried mealworms have higher nutrient density and a long shelf life, and are very easy to overfeed because they are small and light. Both types are useful, but their purposes differ: live worms support behaviour, while dried worms support nutrition.
When Dried Mealworms Support Egg Laying
Dried mealworms support egg laying during times when hens need extra protein, especially in molting season, in winter cold, after stress or illness, and during recovery and feather regrowth. These periods increase a hen’s protein requirement, and the high protein in dried mealworms helps with body repair and maintaining egg production.
How to Use Dried Mealworms Correctly
The safest way to use dried mealworms is in very small amounts, mixed with other feed to prevent overfeeding. You can sprinkle them on top of regular feed, mix them with scratch grain, or soak them in warm water to soften them. Soaking dried mealworms makes them easier to digest and adds moisture, which is especially helpful during hot weather.
7. Warning Signs of Overfeeding
Overfeeding mealworms—live or dried—shows clear signs in your flock. Fat hens, thick abdominal fat when picked up, and soft-shelled eggs are early warnings. You may also notice a reduced appetite for layer feed, lower egg production, and more frequent broody behaviour. If you see these important signs of overfeeding, cut back mealworms immediately to protect your hens’ health.
8. Live or Dried? Which Is Better for Your Flock?
Both types of mealworms are good for hens, and the best choice depends on your goal. Choose live mealworms if you want better activity, natural foraging behaviour, and enrichment for bored hens. Choose dried mealworms if you want a higher protein boost, a long shelf life, and a quick, convenient treat. Many flock keepers use both options at different times to meet different needs in the flock.
Both live and dried mealworms are excellent treats for backyard hens when used wisely. Live mealworms support natural behaviour, while dried mealworms supply concentrated protein. But neither one replaces a complete layer feed. Treats must stay below 5–10% of the daily diet to avoid nutrient balance issues.
When used in the right amounts, mealworms improve feather quality, support protein needs during molting or stress, and help keep hens active and healthy.
At Promeal, we know how important it is to give your pets a healthy and varied diet. That’s why we create high-quality, natural pet food to keep them happy and healthy.
Our speciality is premium live and dried insect-based feeds like mealworms, superworms, crickets, roaches, waxworms, and hornworms. These insects are grown on an organic diet, making them a nutritious and tasty treat for your pets.
Check out our "Shop" section to find the perfect food for your pets!
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