Dried Mealworms: Should Your Chickens Eat Them?

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Mealworms! Shake that packet and chickens come running from every corner of the yard. Chickens love dried mealworms, no doubt about it. But should you be feeding them to your flock? It really depends on the supplier.

As always, higher quality ones are more expensive but in terms of your flock’s health, it’s definitely worth it.

This article discusses the benefits of feeding your chickens dried mealworms. It also explains how many you should feed your chickens, how to spot inferior mealworms, and much more…

Dried Mealworms: Best Treats For Egg Laying Chickens

Bestseller No. 1

KAYPET Dried Mealworms 10LB Meal Worms for Chicken Ducks and Wild Birds

【High-Nutrition】Packed with 51% protein,24% fat, KAYPET Non-GMO dried mealworms support optimal egg production, feather growth, and immune health for poultry, birds, reptiles, and small pets.
【Premium Processing】Double microwave-dried (not freeze-dried) for a crispy texture, with no additives, fecal residues, or artificial preservatives—moisture content is strictly controlled at ≤4.2% for freshness.
【Versatile Feeding】Suitable for all life stages of chickens, ducks, wild birds, hamsters, fish, and more; can be fed directly, mixed with regular feed, or scattered in feeders for natural foraging behavior.
【Improves Feathers and Plumage】 Regular consumption of mealworms can enhance feather quality, making your chickens look vibrant and healthy.
【Convenient Storage】Comes in a resealable zipper bag that locks in freshness—no refrigeration needed, just store in a cool, dry place.

Bestseller No. 2

I LOVE WORMS Dried Black Soldier Fly Larvae (5lb), 100% Natural Non-GMO, Treat for Chickens, More Calcium Chicken Feed Than Mealworms

Black Soldier Fly Larvae is rich in calcium, it’s contain at least 85x more calcium than dried mealworms and with over 41% protein, this high protein treats allows your chickens to eat healthier, lay bigger eggs and produce more, the best chicken treats for laying hens
Our Black Soldier Fly Larvae can feed your chickens, and many other small animals such as wild birds, bluebirds, indoor fish, turtles, hamsters, ducks, woodpeckers, hedgehogs. Worms for your girls
A great Immune System Booster Snack choice for small animals with plenty of nutrition and more calcium
The BSFL is fed through human food waste, free of additives, preservatives and certified by professional veterinarians, so it is absolutely safe and reliable and suitable for all natural animals. We also contribute to a more beautiful planet
We offer you a shelf life of 24 months and recommend that you store our BSFL in a dry place away from moisture after using it. If you have any questions please contract us as soon

Bestseller No. 3

BUNTIE WORMS Dried Black Soldier Fly Larvae 10LB, 100% Natural Non-GMO, No Additives, Treat for Chickens, Reptiles and Birds, More Calcium Than Mealworms

High in Calcium: Dried black soldier fly larvae are rich in calcium, with up to 85X more calcium than mealworms, which can help hens lay eggs with stronger eggshells. Highly digestible for maximum nutrient absorption—your flock absolutely loves this natural treat
Superior Chicken Protein: Our dried black soldier fly larvae for chickens a powerful 41% protein content. 100% Natural, non-GMO, No Additives, and No Preservatives. Perfect for supporting healthy growth and vitality in poultry, while also attracting colorful wild birds to your yard
Boosts Immunity & Speeds Molting Recovery: Our nutrient-rich black soldier fly larvae for chickens not only enhance egg quality but also your small animals' immunity system and improves their health. Help chickens or birds regrow feathers quickly when they are going through molting
Convenient Storage: Our 10LB black fly larvae for chickens bulk comes in a resealable bag inside a sturdy box for easy, mess-free storage. No refrigeration required – just keep in a cool, dry place. Great for poultry, birds, reptiles, hamsters, turtles, fish, and hedgehogs
Chickens love These: Treat your flock to a tasty, nutrient-packed snack they’ll go crazy for! Our black soldier fly larvae deliver unbeatable flavor that keeps chickens excited and satisfied. Every bite supports happiness, energy, and long-term health for your beloved backyard birds

7 Reasons to Feed Your Chickens Dried Mealworms

So you have decided to ‘grow your own or have found a reputable source of mealworms for your flock. Why should you feed them to your girls?

Training Your Birds With Dried Mealworms

You can train chickens to do amazing things, especially when they are rewarded with mealworms!

People have used ‘bribery by treats’ to teach hens to run obstacle courses, do a variety of tricks and even modify some anti-social behaviors.

It is also the easiest way to get reluctant teenage hens into the coop. They would rather have a snack than party outside.

Chickens are intelligent and can easily be trained to do things as long as there is a reward at the end, after all, no one works for free!

Dried Mealworms Are Good For Feathers

The most useful time of the year to feed mealworms is around the time of the molt.
As you all know, the molt depletes a huge amount of protein from the bird.

Through the stress of molting, the high amount of protein used in replacing the old feathers and the strain of maintaining health is enormous.

Although your birds will get through the molt without high protein snacks, they do need extra protein from somewhere, so why not give them a special treat to brighten up the day for them?

You can give other high-protein snacks too during this period but use common sense, please. Use your high protein snacks interchangeably – perhaps hard-boiled and mashed egg one day, then mealworms the next, and pumpkin seeds on the third.

Variety is the spice of life!

Mealworms Used as Medicine

If you have a hen that’s poorly, recovering from an infection or predator attack, she will need some extra protein to help repair any damaged tissue.

It would be acceptable under these circumstances to give her a teaspoon of them daily. The only exception to this is if there is a question of impaired kidneys; in which case, keep the protein at 16 – 18% layer feed.

Dried Mealworms Review Table

DRIED MEALWORM / BSF	SIZE	NON-GMO	OUR RATING
Appetizing Mealworms	1 lb	Yes	See Price
PTCom – Bulk Dried Mealworms for Chickens	10 lbs	No	See Price
Hatortempt – Dried Mealworms for Chickens	5 lbs	Yes	See Price
MBTP – Bulk Dried Mealworms (Treats for Chickens)	5 lbs	No	See Price

A Simple Treat of Mealworms

If the truth is told, we all like to be spoiled at times. We are no different with our hens – they deserve treats for laying those beautiful eggs almost every day.

There is nothing wrong with spoiling your girls – as long as it is in moderation.
If you feed your girls too many treats they will pack on the pounds; obese chickens lay fewer eggs and have more problems with laying.

Keep it healthy, a beakful once or twice a week is sufficient; don’t listen to what the hens tell you!

Feeding Tip: For a summertime treat, makes some mealworm ice cubes. Put just a few in the cube tray, you can sprinkle in some herbs or grains too if you wish and freeze.

Set them out in a pan in the shade and the hens will be busy for a while pecking at those refreshing treats.

They are delicious! No, I haven’t tried them but my head hen Ms. Crabby says they are to die for!

Increase Chickens Protein With Mealworms

They are packed full of protein which all living creatures need. However, too much protein can be unhealthy too. It can cause kidney problems for your ladies, as can too much calcium in the diet so moderation is best.

With 50% protein when dried and 30% protein when they are alive, they are packed with protein.

The protein content of live worms is slightly less worrisome from the health point of view. However, dried ones aren’t a problem if fed in moderation.

Tossing Mealworms In the Coop Keep Chickens Healthy and Active

You can encourage your hens to work for their protein by tossing them into the bedding and watching them re-arrange the coop.

This will keep them busy for ages as they probe and peck every corner of the coop just in case they missed one. Nothing like getting the kids to clean out their room!
How much?

I have 20 hens in one coop so I toss in a small handful scattering them as widely as I can.

Shop For Dried Larvae on Amazon

How to Feed Dried Mealworms to Your Chickens

You have a few options when feeding them to your chickens.

I like to use it to help turn the coop bedding over. Just toss some into the bedding and your hens will go crazy rummaging through the bedding. It also helps make them last longer as it can take them some time to find them buried within the bedding.

If you don’t want their bedding turned over, you can also just toss it onto the ground outside and watch them demolish them in record time.

Finally, if you have extremely friendly hens you might even be able to feed them from your hand.
As for how many dried mealworms you can feed them and how often…

Treats should make up no more than 10% of your hen’s daily food intake. So a beakful or two of dried in a day is more than enough.

However you should make sure to switch up the treats, so only give them mealworms twice a week maximum.

Dried Mealworms Alternatives

When mealworms grow up they become Darkling beetles. You probably don’t want them near your henhouse since they are possible carriers of the disease (they have been linked to Marek’s Disease).
Because of this, some enterprising folks have turned to raising crickets or dubia. I’m sure you all know what cricket is, but what is a dubia?

A dubia is a… cockroach!

It’s a tropical cockroach that is packed full of protein and not quite as dreadful as a regular cockroach.

Apparently, these little fellows are very peaceful and live harmoniously with each other, unlike Darkling beetles that will eat each other.

They are also much quieter than a room full of crickets.
If you’re looking for more treat suggestions read our definitive list of chicken treats here.

Dried Mealworms Summary

We have given you a few excuses to spoil your hens rotten but remember, like chocolate for humans, too many have a downside.

That applies to not only mealworms but any high-protein snacks – be it seed, egg, or insect.

If you have a few chickens and lots of time, training them to do tricks is an enjoyable pastime for you and the hens. You will amaze your friends with your smart hens!

Have you managed to train your hens with treats? Let us know in the comments section below…

Best Treats For Egg Laying Chickens