I have decided that this summer my koi will get silkworm pupae. They say it is the best nutrition available for koi, and most of the very expensive koi foods have it as an ingredient.

Naturally, high in protein, calcium, and additional nutrients that promote vibrant luster and growth.

However, it is very expensive and most of it available in South Africa is old.

So we have decided to buy 12 Mulberry trees instead, and grow the worms ourselves. We have got 10 000 eggs, and they are hatching at a rate of 50 per day. About 2000 already hatched.

Growing well, and my fish will have their first pupaes within a month.

See photos:






Also an earthworm farm going with 5000 earthworms, doubling every 6 weeks. My koi are in for a treat this year.

Hi, why not just feed the worms?

Hi paul the malberry fruit is also very tasty which can be a treat for yourself

I believe it is better to wait for them to grow right up to the end for maximum protein production.

The pupae can be frozen and be fed as and when required, mixed with pellets, and creates a protective layer which will ensure freshness longer.

Easier to share 10 pupae amongst say 20 fish as apposed to half a worm per fish.

We might even be able to get a market or some use for the silk?

We keep the eggs in a fridge and take out a batch a week to ensure that they do not hatch all at the same time. They hatch 7 days after taking them out of the fridge. In this way you can stretch the hatching over the whole summer, ensuring a constant supply of fresh pupae (and leaves) throughout the summer.

The worms are doing great and I can start feeding my koi. A lot of them have already turned into pupae. Approximately 9000 still grazing actively.

isn't it a mission sitting, cutting silk and removing the pupae????.......I think I would go mad!!!!

or is there an easier way?

If you soak the cocoon in boiling water, the silk comes loose. Then you can either just remove the pupae and throw the silk away, or unwound it with a power drill, silk from five cocoons on one silk thread, and could sell the silk or put it to good use.

Each cocoon provides 2km of silk. As a matter of interest, you need 1000 cocoons to make one silk shirt.

Interesting that you can put the eggs in the fridge (imitating another winter) for a few weeks after they were laid, and they will hatch again after you take them out. This cycle can be repeated three times in one summer. You therefore only need a few worms to create thousands of worms in one season.

thats interesting.........feeding the worms is this good aswell??? I know you said the pupae is better but would the works be as good????

Might just confirm those silkworm requests from my kid now!!!

Ek gee my vis meel wurems en hulle geniet dit elke tweede dag.

See http://www.majestickoi.com/SUBcategory.php?categoryKey=1&subCategoryKey=12&subCategoryName=Kawaguchi%20Shoten&PHPSESSID=25bba4e8b308aafa005a12b50049ac9a

"Silk powder Fresh silkworm makes your Koi Jumbo; Silk powder is what strengthens liver function and makes Koi's skin pure white. It combines fresh silkworm with "Hi Silk 21" abundantly. "It is still silkworms that make Koi grow big and finish beautifully!" according to all the top Koi breeders in Japan. "The goal of making Koi food is silkworms!" to which all of the technicians of koi food makers agreed to. Why are silkworms good? Because composition of protein in silkworm (amino acid) is the nearest to protein composition of Koi, which Koi can naturally absorb (protein of a silkworm) without any troubles. Fine quality silkworms are "the best natural food" for Koi which always beats processed food. Another important ingredient is silk powder. Silk is made of protein called "fibroin". This protein contains a lot of amino acids that is absolutely indispensable for living creatures such as alanine, glycine and tyrosine. Especially, it contains glycine 8 times of milk, and 6 times that of an egg. These amino acids strengthen liver function, improve detoxification and decrease cholesterol in blood. When liver function deteriorates, skin of Koi gets yellow. In other words, strengthening a liver function will maintain snow-white skin. "

Paul, Dit klink na werk, jy moet klompie vir my Maruten eenkant sit, almal sonder name asb.

Hi Paul
Now you have serious competition!
My first stock of silkworms arrived today.
I am now awaiting the business cards, letterheads, advertising pamphlets, radio and television advertising material.
Perhaps rather than you and me competing we should join forces with you supplying the southern part of the country while I do likewise here in Lion country. Next year we can take on the export market.
Sounds good or what do you think?
PS Bobby will have to pay nothing for nothing.

Cool, we can provide silk and pupae to the Japanese in exchange for koi.

One of these days Jan and I will walk around with silk bow ties and you will need bow ties to visit us.