Nightcrawler Breeding Closet
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- Опубліковано 21 січ 2023
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Good idea using an enclosed space like that to make a little oasis for them to be warm & cozy in 👍🏻
Your worm UA-cam is one of my favorite videos. Thank you Sir........❤
I hope you your ANCs plans work out.
What I do is collect the cocoons, and then they go into a nursery for 10 weeks (in your case it is buckets 👍👍). They get top fed double ground worm chow.
Then they get transferred to grow out buckets (just a change of bedding) for another 10 weeks. They are top fed once ground worm chow.
After the 20 weeks from cocoon, they are an average of 3"to 3" 1/2 long.
I have seen them reach 4" in length in as little as 16 weeks however that is using the numbers per gal method every 14 days.
That method starts out with 3 buckets and 2,625 hatchlings per bucket and each bucket starting out with 1.25 Gal. of bedding. With that method by the time, you get to the 6th split which is week #12 you are at 18 buckets holding 437 3" to 3 .5" worms per bucket which consists of 1.75 Gal of bedding. At the 8th split, 16 weeks the worms are 4" long and it is the start of the 100 per gal. So, what that means is at 16 weeks you now have 30 buckets holding 250 worms in each bucket and each bucket is containing 2.5 gal of bedding. With this method the grains/chow is mixed into the bedding before worms are introduced. At that point it is best to break it in half and do it every week instead of every 2 weeks because 75 gallons of pulverized/shredded and sifted bedding is a lot of work to do once every 2 weeks. I personally think it is better to do half as much work every week. The thing is those 30 buckets of worms are all breeding themselves. Those 30 buckets at 44 cocoons a bucket with 2 hatchlings per cocoon comes out to 2,625 hatchlings to start another bucket, if you can reach 132 cocoons a bucket, which is plausible, and 2 hatchings per cocoon, the three buckets that started the process can be copied.
So, at that point the scalability of the process is pretty much limitless.
Have a wonderful Day!
Just came back to read comments (for informational purposes) and have some words I would like to share.
This is about ANC's first off, there is a time and a season for everything. I used to live in the capital district (Glenmont NY), were I now live the climate is the same except 800 miles west and 100 miles north as the crow flies. The season for ANC's is 3rd week of June thru August when the waters are warm. The secret to not having them break apart when handled or on the hook is to have the moisture content at 30% - 35% or use Alum in the worm chow, that will toughen them up.
Now, most people learn from RW's and what they learn is that the moisture content for the best health of the worm is between 70%-80%. That does not apply with the ANC's the moisture content for the worm species is best between 35%-45% for optimum health. With that being said if using wastepaper as bedding, I would still suggest a moisture content between 65%-70% so the microbes are more active and help break down the paper faster. Be warned at that moisture content when handling them you will break tails. If the moisture content is higher than 70%, they will get ripped in half when fluffing the bedding.
The moral of the story is ANCs are a more advanced worm and if applying what is learned from RWs one of 2 things will happen.
1) eventually they will be small worms just like red wigglers, except not as good at vermicomposting.
2) over time they will disappear.
One of the best things about using ANCs in the northern climates is the cocoons do not survive the winter, therefore they do not cause any ecological/environmental damage. They happen to be the only worm the Department of Natural Resources endorses for fishing bait in my state.
With all that, play with worms, grow worms, enjoy them, learn from them and be happy!
Wow… thanks for sharing all the details, Worms for life! Bait worms were never my thing, but I’m getting to know ANCs and ENCs now hands on - book reading was never my best way to learn - yes, they sure do have their preferences. Grandkids love to fish and I’d enjoy helping them start a bait business if any of them are so inclined ☺️
Small world that you lived in Glenmont!
where is your channel wormsforlife? i am interested in raising ancs and would like your input. thanks
Any update on the flow through garbage can worm bin from the video?
Hello Capt. Matt! I am brand new to the worm world. I’ve recently been asked by a local bait shop if I would consider breeding Canadian nightcrawlers so I set up 2 totes from watching a variety of videos. I have just found your channel today and wanted to thank you for the quality of your videos and teaching… I am super excited because tonight when I checked my bin I was lucky enough to see what I believe to be a couple of my worms mating! Do you have any advice on how long I should leave the bins before trying to sift through and collect cocoons?
Great video Captain!!
Glad you enjoyed it, Paul!
Love this!!
Keep up the great work Captain. 😎
You give your worms the best!
Thank you for the info.
What temp are you keeping the room at?
Watch those African Night crawlers , especially in storms . They like to crawl out and will get into the other bins and go everywhere.
From personal experience, Euro's are better for fish bait !
do you have a link to how you make your substrate for all your worms and what you feed and how often?
I have African nightcrawlers but can't use them for fishing because the waters in my region is way too cold.
Right … ANCs would only work in our locale as bait in July and August as well - but I’m having a wonderful time learning from them… they are great teachers!
Hi captain Matt, what kind of soil do you use for the African night crawlers?
My red wrigglers are doing really good but my canda night crawlers are not anyone ever raise them before
Do you think its ok to mix different types of worms to build compost?
Hi Matt.
How meny typs of worms do you have?
Can you mix nightcrawlers in with red wigglers while worm farming?
What is the difference between them if you would do a short describing them it would be great 👍
Pure ANCs and ENCs are breeds I’m getting to know better for now - mostly stuck to red wiggler mix to this point. Here’s a good article on differences wormpeople.com/worms-are-not-created-equal/
Good stuff, but what is your plan for them?
Just moved the ANCs to a smaller CFT - getting to know them for now! They’ll tell me what to do 😉
@@CaptainMattsWorms Not sure on how to start out, except by explaining what I do. Start the bin out with 4"-6"of compost or worm peat, add the worms. Then after 6 weeks add a 1/4" to 1/2" of worm peat or compost to the top of the bedding/castings every week. Doing that will keep the big ones Large and breeding. It is a beautiful way to have a healthy bed-run mix of ANC worms. Out of all the different species of worms I have grown, I consider the ANCs to be the best teachers.
Have a great Day!
In addition to worm farming, I'm also an avid fisher-woman.
African nightcrawlers make HORRIBLE bait. The die as soon as the hit the cold water and if fishing in water warm enough for it then to be survive in, the break be themselves into pieces hi ist like be the invasive jumping worms. I use euros only as fishing bait.
Well… goes to show you I’m not a fisherman 😂Yes, if we ever do bait, it will be ENCs - but I’ve gotten attached to the ANCs for composting.
Trying to grow European Nightcrawlers
Mostly a commercial.
Move
On
A commercial for what?
Exactly! That’s why I said move on to this person.
Good thing I’m not selling anything ☺️
Captains vdeos are all very informative, some are short, some longer. No commercial here lol.
Capt. Matt I am just getting started out thanks in part to your videos. I have 4 horses and have ben composting manure for my garden for years. For these worms are you starting out with pure composted manure or do you blend the manure to start your breeder buckets?
Hey Tony! Great to hear. I typically blend manure with leaf compost.