One thing I have read, is that what goes in the worm comes out with even more nutrients than the original feed. I would also think that a variety of food would be better than just one ingredient, as in 6 years of observing and learning about the worms, I am of the opinion that all life is about balance.

Joe, I believe I read horse manure castings consistently test better...you might try going to the Soil Food Web site, as I think Dr. Elaine Ingham was credited with this conclusion. It doesn't take long for cow manure to get feedable, but it does need to go through the heat stages in order to be weed seed free.Seeya, Bob

Thank you Red Hen. I guess my question is what would be a good balanced diet for the worms? I have been giving them some bread, fruit loops, and a bananna so far but I have only had it going for a week or so? They eat everything I give them in 2 to 3 days so far it is very cool.. Also any suggestions that would help me with these worms would be great. Thanks Joe

It's funny, how we get concerned about a balanced feedstock for our worms, sometimes more than our own diets. (I am not saying this without including myself in the "we" ) If your worms are keeping up, then I think your balance is going well. You will notice an imbalance when the bin becomes more favorable to other creatures in your bin, and their numbers increase. Observation is one of the best keys to what goes on in your bin. Mostly you will just be doing what the rest of us are doing...Standing over our bins, scratching our heads, and then coming here to share information and observations.

Hey Worm Bin Providers,

I was reading through this forum and was wondering
if there is anything in fresh manure that could kill
the worms due to the animal's natural parasites in their gut. Is that just for some types of animals,
like dogs and not for horses or cows?
I have a very small bin and have not used any manure
as only have access to plenty of dog residue.

Thanks for your reply!

Ranji

Hi, Ranji. There are those that use worms to compost pet waste, but the accepted wisdom is not to use the resulting compost on food plots due to possible pathogens. Right wrong or indifferent, I don't think I'd use it on my vegetables or fruits...flower beds, maybe. Seeya, Bob