home Translator Breeding Californian worms at home. Breeding Californian worms: good income without significant investments Californian worm breeding

Breeding Californian worms at home. Breeding Californian worms: good income without significant investments Californian worm breeding

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Breeding Californian red worms is a task that even a schoolchild can do. After all, there are no difficulties in creating optimal conditions for this. Moreover, there is practically no need for even financial investments. Running such a business is a very profitable business. And the profitability is clearly proven. The main thing is to find a reliable sales market.

California worms have an excellent ability to quickly and efficiently process organic waste, creating excellent vermicompost. This is a unique fertilizer, which in its composition surpasses even humus. Experts say that vermicompost is almost eight times better than the humus we are used to.

Moreover, vermicompost has no odor, so it is recommended to use it not only in the garden, but also for feeding indoor plants. Most often, such complex fertilizer is applied to the soil in the spring. It can even be added to containers with seedlings. The main thing is to stick to proportions. Everything is fine, back to normal.

Best places for breeding

To begin with, it is important to choose the place where the worms will breed. This could be a cottage, garage, basement or other household space similar to those listed above. You can use any kind of box or container. Although you can dig a hole in the ground. But it is imperative to line the cavity with natural material to prevent the individuals from spreading.

California worms on hand close up

How to breed red worms

There are no significant differences between puffballs and California worms. In addition, the latter are more effective in processing organic matter. As for their living conditions, red individuals prefer a warmer environment and simply cannot tolerate frost.

Unlike rainwater species, Californian species do not crawl to the surface during rain. They are more comfortable staying in the ground (substrate).

Manufacturing and arrangement of a worm house

The optimal place for breeding is considered to be a compost pit (or heap), boxes or lodges. Food comes from organic waste. This may include manure, bird droppings, straw, wood chips, vegetable peels and other organic waste. Everything is collected in a heap and thoroughly moistened. After a few months, the organic matter decomposes and good conditions for breeding are created.

The lower part of the container or container you come up with must be able to allow moisture to pass through. Because excess moisture can harm the inhabitants of the soil mixture. This will become an ideal vermicompost. With the water passing through the upper tray with worms, biomaterial will also come out, improving the substrate.

Soil preparation

You can use humus, rotten leaves and even cooking waste as a mixture, in other words, almost any organic waste. This will create comfort, softness and nutrition in the resulting habitat. To enrich the mixture with oxygen for normal decomposition of organic matter, it is important to dig up or gently mix the compost at least once a week.

The substrate must meet the required parameters of acidity, humidity and temperature. This will be discussed in detail below.

Check-in

Initially, California worms must be introduced into a smaller container with a ready-made substrate. It will act as some kind of pallet. Experts advise covering the top of the pallet with a high-density fabric. This will keep the heat inside the imaginary container.

Before populating the main family, it is recommended to place a test batch. If after a couple of days everyone is still alive, you can continue the resettlement.

When at least 10% of the individuals have died, it is worth reviewing the soil mixture. Perhaps it is too sour. To correct the situation, you need to add straw, plant tops or sawdust to the substrate.

Nutrition

It is recommended to feed the worms only after eating the previous portion. Otherwise, you yourself will provoke obesity in your wards. They can be fed manure, bird droppings, plant tops, paper, cardboard, vegetable peels, straw, hay, sawdust and other organic waste. If you live in your own home, then there will never be problems with food.

The nutrition of worms should not be neglected. But feed only after destroying the previous portion

Spoiled baked goods, used tea leaves and grounds from natural coffee are considered a special treat for these animals. You should not throw citrus waste into the compost. This may increase the acidity of the mixture. From time to time it is important to supplement the composition with ground remains of eggshells. This procedure will allow you to painlessly maintain the acid-base balance of the environment.

Care

Optimal conditions of detention:

acidity - 6.5 - 7.5 pH;
temperature - 20-25 degrees Celsius above zero;
humidity - 70-80%.

California worms are heat-loving spineless animals. For their normal development and reproduction, the temperature must be maintained within 25 degrees Celsius above zero. If the mark on the thermometer scale decreases, they will eat worse and reproduce less. When the temperature reaches 5 degrees, the creeping creatures may die altogether.

It is important to pay attention to the water used to water the substrate. It should not be chlorinated, otherwise the living creatures will die.

It is worth turning the compost at some intervals. This will ensure oxygen access to the substrate.

From time to time the compost in the worm bin needs to be turned

Wintering

Since these invertebrate animals are very afraid of the cold, preparation for winter must be thorough.. It is important to ensure the required temperature regime for them and to prevent overcooling of the soil mixture.

To do this, fresh compost 20-40 cm thick is laid on the surface of the container. Then everything is watered generously and covered with hay or straw in a thick ball of 0.5 m. The topmost layer may freeze a little in severe frosts. But it's not scary. For a common substrate where the worms will be located, there will be no problems. With the arrival of spring, the inhabitants of the soil mixture will already feed on the top of the humus. Whereas the lower 2/3 of the total volume of compost will already turn into high-quality vermicompost.

Sales Features

Since the cost of one worm is low, to get a good profit you need to reach wholesale volumes. This product may be of interest to pet stores, agricultural farms, fishing farms and even fishing stores. Active advertising is needed here.

First, you should sell your product to friends and neighbors, for example, who are going fishing. Well, then look for a bigger customer.

Profitability

Breeding Californian worms is extremely profitable. Since production itself is practically inexpensive. All proceeds are net.

Practice shows that 1 sq. m of nursery will allow you to get about 1-10 thousand individuals and half a ton of vermicompost for sale. Considering that 1 unit costs around two rubles, you get 20 thousand rubles in your hands. The main thing is to find a profitable and permanent place to sell your products.

Mistakes in breeding

It is strictly prohibited to use chlorinated water to create compost. Because bleach is considered a killer trace element for worms. If there is no other water, it should be left to settle for several days. After this, the chlorine will go away. By the way, rainwater is also suitable. Cheap and cheerful;
Fresh manure should not be added to the compost. During its humus, the temperature can rise to almost 600 degrees Celsius, and the inhabitants of the compost will simply die;
old manure is also not suitable. If it has been lying there for more than three years, the amount of nutritional components will be insufficient for the normal growth and reproduction of invertebrate animals.

In general, it is worth noting that raising California red worms is not difficult. Our country has created all the conditions and opportunities to engage in this extensively as a business and earn good money. The main thing is to think over the sales market and set up your own small production. And we have already discussed in detail how to do this.

I provide information about Californian worms from Vitaly Zabudko’s blog ( moyhytor.wordpress.com/2015/07/12/red-California-worm) :

California red worm

Even the farmers of Ancient Egypt saw earthworms as a guarantee of future harvests. Aristotle called them the intestines of the earth. And this is true: by passing earth and plant debris through their intestines, worms enrich the soil.

Only in the 50s of the 20th century the question arose about breeding worms specifically as producers of very valuable, environmentally friendly fertilizer. The concept of “Vermiculture” arose - the culture of breeding worms. The red Californian worm was bred and used to create vermiculture.

What is California Worm?

Among all the species of earthworms existing in the world, only a few can be cultured under artificial conditions.

But the most universal in their characteristics and the most economically attractive are the worms belonging to the “Red Worms” species.

The red earthworm usually has the commercial name “California”, since it was in the state of California in the United States of America that its intensive cultivation began in the fifties of the last century.

Among the various species obtained as a result of various selections, the red worm obtained by the American Barrett as a result of selection of a common dung worm is widespread and successfully reproduced.

The California red worm is a new breed of earthworm Eisenia foetida. It was obtained at the University of California, as a result of the hybridization of various earthworm breeds, in 1959.

Its length is up to 10 cm, diameter is 3-5 mm, body weight is about 1 g, the appearance of a new generation in 21 days, the onset of puberty in 90-120 days. The offspring of two worms can reach 1.5 thousand individuals per year. After 40 days, the worm population doubles.

Worm biomass contains a whole complex of biologically valuable substances and is used to feed all types of animals and fish, both raw and processed.

The value of feed when adding worm biomass increases by 20-25%. The worm is also processed into protein meal containing 67% protein and 20% fat. In addition to other amino acids, flour contains especially valuable ones - 8% lysine, 3% methionine.

Protein flour is most effectively used for the production of animal feed, as a food additive.

Features of the California worm:

DIFFERENT LIFESPAN AND FERTILITY OF THE FOREST RAINWORM AND THE RED CALIFORNIA WORM.

1. Title; 2. Life expectancy, years; 3. Frequency of copulations, days; 4. Number of newborns in the cocoon.

California red worm - (16) (7) (2-21);

Forest earthworm (8000 different species) - (4) (45) (1-4);

The habitat is a special substrate rich in organic compounds (manure, composts, organic waste and garbage), but not soil.

Long-lived - lives 16 years, laying 20 cocoons per season.

He eats twice as much per day as he weighs.

Doesn't crawl out of the boxes in which it is bred.

The mixtures in which the worms live must be moist. To retain moisture, cover the containers with a piece of polyethylene.

Crushed egg powder or lime should be added to food, since worms do not like acidic subtracts.

They can be bred both on an industrial scale and in an apartment, on a balcony and in a summer cottage.

Breeding California red worm.

The “Californian” is a wonderful “pet.” It can be placed in a box made of wood or plywood, even in a cardboard box, but lined with polyethylene on the inside, in an old glass aquarium, in a plastic box.

Closed joint stock company Fart recommends three plastic containers: the first with a solid bottom, the second and third with perforated bottoms. All containers are inserted into one another. Below - with a solid bottom.

The procedure for working with these containers is as follows::

Pour clean, dry sand into a container with a solid bottom. We place a holey container on it.

In this container we put a layer of “living” soil or a layer of fertile garden soil - a layer of 1 cm, on top we put a food substrate with a layer of 3 - 5 cm, then we dust the food layer with “new soil” or eggshell powder, on top of a layer of “living soil” or soil - 1 cm.

Worms are placed on the surface of the soil. The prepared substrate is moistened. A lump of substrate, if squeezed in your hand, does not crumble when you unclench your fist.

Cover the top of the containers with a piece of polyethylene. When the substrate is processed in a holey container, place a 3rd container on it, charged in the same way as the 2nd.

After 1.5 - 2 months, all the worms from the container will crawl into the 3rd container and begin to work in it. Biohumus has formed in the 2nd container, which can be used. Thus, by changing containers, we obtain fertile vermicompost.

The sand in the lower container becomes very wet after a while, and moisture accumulates in it as a result of the work of the worms. Sand with moisture is also a useful soil additive. Wet sand should be replaced with dry sand.

If it is not possible to purchase the containers described, you can get by with the above-mentioned containers. Sand must be placed at the bottom - it serves as drainage. Then a layer of soil 1 - 2 cm, a layer of food waste 3 - 5 cm, again a layer of soil 1 - 2 cm.

A little ground eggshell is added to food waste - “Californians” do not like an acidic environment.

It is more difficult to separate vermicompost from such containers than from containers. You can keep the worms on a starvation diet for a while, and then put food in a certain place, all the worms will crawl to that place.

It is convenient to use such containers for preserving the Californian worm in the winter, so that in the summer you can move it to the garden or vegetable garden.

What do you feed the California worm at home??

Peels from raw vegetables, especially potatoes, must be thoroughly crushed (turned through a meat grinder), otherwise they will not be processed.

Perfectly recyclable:
banana skins;
citrus peel;
apple cores;
drunken tea and coffee grounds;
moldy bread, bread crusts and rolls;
leftover cereals, pieces of cheese;
rotten tomatoes, apples and other plant waste.

You can feed the worms grass and leaves. It is not recommended to feed worms with meat waste.

How to feed regularly?

When you have containers, feeding intervals are 1.5 - 2 months, i.e. we feed when we charge the container. In single containers we give a little at a time every 2-3 days, trying to feed so that the unprocessed subtract does not accumulate.

Life of a worm in the wild.

In May, the “Californian” can be moved outside to a compost heap made from household garbage, rotted manure, and weeds. Recommended for a standard “bed”, on a bed measuring 2 x 1 m from 30 to 100 thousand worms.

The worms are placed on a heap prepared in advance, made up of well-composted manure mixed with sawdust, straw, and weeds can be used to feed. Feed is added every 10 days.

Depending on the weather, water the compost 2-3 times a week. By the end of the season we get wonderful vermicompost.

Breeding on a livestock farm

What is the best way to produce vermicompost??

The substrate should consist of approximately 2/3 manure, 1/3 peat plus the addition of green manure or straw. In this case, the yield of vermicompost will be the largest.

Wintering

For the winter, it is imperative to cover the “wormhouse” with a half-meter layer of straw, since, unlike its Russian relatives, the Californian does not go deep into the winter and can freeze out if measures are not taken.

Another serious danger to worms are mice and moles, which readily eat worms. It makes sense to keep a safety stock at home or in a warm room in winter.

Substrate processing cycle

The cycle of substrate processing in trays is usually about 5 months, with the number of worms increasing five to ten times, depending on the care taken to maintain optimal conditions. If adult worms are separated every 2 months, the reproduction of vermiculture can be further accelerated.

Advantages and disadvantages

The California red worm reaches sexual maturity at three months of age, when it can be considered fully mature.

Two earthworms per year can produce an average of 1,500 young worms under fairly normal temperate climate conditions. Thus, one pair produces 3,000 young worms annually over five generations.

This pair, grown in an optimal environment of constant average temperature, constant and controlled humidity, adequate food and sufficient water, can produce 7 to 10 young worms per capsule and up to 20 to 21 young worms when reared in a greenhouse.

The Californian earthworm differs from the ordinary earthworm by its higher vital activity and the ability to process food faster and more completely. As a result of processing one ton of substrate, about 600 kg of vermicompost is obtained, and the increase in worm biomass is 100 kg.

As noted above, the only drawback of the California worm is that it is too heat-loving.

Its instinct of self-preservation is weakened at subzero temperatures, and therefore, when its habitat cools, the California worm does not go deep into the ground to the freezing depth, but gathers in one place in large quantities and freezes safely.

So, if you are going to breed this type of worm, you should take care of a good worm cage with a positive temperature in winter, or you will have to insulate the clamps well when growing them outside.

Here is some essential useful information:

note

It should be borne in mind that it is very difficult for adult worms to get accustomed to new food. This is firmly connected with their biological feature - worms are programmed to consume food immediately after birth, so they can no longer get used to another.

Therefore, when buying technological worms, you need to take this risk into account. New substrates should be populated only with cocoons of worms; then, upon hatching, the worms will be configured to process only this type of food.

Helpful advice

Overwintering Californian worms can be done in the following way - dig a hole with a diameter of 1.5 - 2 meters and a depth of about 20 cm, in late autumn load the worms into it and cover it with a 50 cm layer of fallen leaves. The control batch should be stored in the cellar in a box with a capacity of 2-3 buckets .

I don’t believe that in central Russia Californian worms will survive under a layer of leaves 50 cm thick - you can check if you don’t mind the worms.

I think it is worth trying to grow Californian worms to get a personal feel for them, but you should mainly focus on growing native earthworms, Prospector worms and Dendroben worms.

I invite everyone to speak out in

The importance of worms in improving soils is quite great. Awareness of this predetermined great interest in their artificial cultivation. Thus, as a result of many years of breeding work carried out by American researchers, in 1959 at the University of California, as a result of the hybridization of various breeds of earthworm, a new variety of this species, Eisenia foetida, was developed, called the “California red worm hybrid” or simply “California red worm". Since 1979, it began to be propagated in Western Europe and Japan. In terms of fertility and activity, the hybrid is significantly superior to the ordinary earthworm and, unlike it, lends itself well to cultivation under artificial conditions.

Unlike its wild relatives, the Californian hybrid is a “homebody.” If food is available, it does not spread out and consumes approximately the same amount of food per day as it weighs. Breeders genetically programmed the hybrid to process waste around the clock with a high efficiency (40% of the food consumed is consumed in the process of life, and 60% after digestion is released in the form of excrement - coprolites, i.e. produced vermicompost).

The red Californian worm differs from other species in its ability to process all types of organic matter, as well as its very high fertility (more than 100 times) and longevity (4 times) compared to ordinary earthworms. In two months, a population of Californian worms of 30...50 thousand individuals (biomass about 4 kg/m2) is capable of processing 300...400 kg of litter manure on each square meter of a special plantation, turning it into a highly fertile humus fertilizer. Also, the biomass of live worms is a valuable natural food for poultry and animals, and pond fish. In addition, valuable protein flour (protein content is about 70%) and canned food for domestic animals and fur-bearing animals are prepared from worms. After patenting, Californian worms began to be cultivated in large American specialized farms. Thus, the German government has begun subsidizing its agricultural producers under a special program that provides for the abandonment of the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers and the transfer of farms to biological methods of agricultural production using Californian worms.

The dark red red worm lives in temperate climates. An adult reaches a length of 8-10 cm, a diameter of 3-5 mm, a weight of 0.8 - 1 g. Body temperature is 19-20 ° C. During the day, it consumes an amount of food that is approximately equal to its weight (about 1 g), after digestion of which 0.8-0.9 g of coprolites are released. The largest particles that a worm can swallow are up to 1 mm in size.

Life expectancy is almost 16 years (wild forms - 4 years). Very prolific. Sexual maturity occurs at three months of age and, under optimal conditions, one individual can produce an average of 1,500 offspring per year.

This worm is hermaphrodite. Each individual has male and female reproductive organs, but cannot self-fertilize. Sexually mature individuals mutually fertilize each other. Fertilized eggs are separated from the body of the worms and placed in a protein ring, or capsule (cocoon), which is first yellow and then brown. As a result of mating of two individuals, 2 eggs or capsules are formed, 1 for each of the individuals. Each capsule contains from 2 to 20 worms. The cocoons contain liquid that feeds the young when they hatch. The young are white.

The optimal temperature is 20-22 °C, and the critical temperature is below 0 °C and above 42 °C. At a temperature of +7 °C it enters a state of suspended animation. Optimal humidity is 75-88%, and critical humidity is below 60% and above 90%.

Practice has shown that cultivated worms do not get sick and do not succumb to any epizootics. They can die only if their breeding technology is violated. Most often, the death of worms is caused by protein poisoning due to unfinished fermentation of the substrate. As a result, the worm becomes "acidic" and produces harmful gases that are lethal to other worms.

Methods for growing worms.

Industrial cultivation of worms can be carried out both outdoors and indoors. All calculations related to arranging areas for vermicultivation, populating and feeding worms, caring for them and other operations are carried out based on a standard bed, which is called a bed. A bed is a unit of measurement used by American researchers, with an area of 2 m2.

The population density of one bed can vary from 30 to 100 thousand worms (adults, young and cocoons with eggs). For 1 bed you need 10-12 quintals of organic waste per year. Of this, 40% is used to satisfy the vital needs of worms, and 60% is released in the form of coproliferative material, that is, vermicompost. One bed annually produces 4-6 quintals of vermicompost and about 30-100 kg of worm biomass.

Year-round vermicultivation with beds located on open land is possible only in regions with a mild climate, because in winter the activity of worms is significantly reduced, and caring for them becomes more difficult. And in other regions - seasonal - from April to October.

The bed is best placed in areas with a certain slope to ensure normal water flow during rains and prevent the formation of puddles. In addition, it is desirable that the soil be sandy or rocky. Earthworms are very afraid of wind, so you should choose places protected from it to place their beds. To protect against pests, beds should be arranged on metal mesh with curved edges with a side height of 25 cm, concrete trays with brick walls.

Worms are kept on concrete platforms or in trenches 2 m wide and 0.3-0.4 g deep. The length of the platform or trenches depends on the size of the area allocated for vermicultivation. The stocks are made of galvanized metal mesh with niches. The area of the bed is 2 m2 (2 x 1 m), height is 15-30 cm. The bed is placed in sections up to 50 m long with a distance between them of 0.5-0.8 m. There are 25 boxes in each section. Two sections form a sector. The distance between sectors is 2.5-3 m.

Indoors, worms can be cultivated year-round by placing beds on a concrete floor or on racks in wooden, metal or plastic boxes, which are placed in tiers. It has been studied that in enclosed spaces 1 m 2 of area produces twice as much biomass of worms and organic fertilizer - vermicompost - than in the open air.

For vermiculture, the optimal quantity is 1200 beds with an area of at least 1 hectare.

The French company Green Prere designed a waste vermicomposting plant. This is a cylindrical tower that consists of 24 plastic pallets with a diameter of 230 cm, stacked one on top. The trays are filled with waste and infested with worms. The entire composting process is fully automated.

Preparing the substrate for worms.

Food for worms is various organic wastes with a high cellulose content that have undergone a fermentation process. The basis of the diet for worms is manure biomass, to which a certain amount of other organic waste is added.

To obtain high-quality food for worms, the following requirements are imposed on the output organic substrate: humidity 70-80%, pH 6.8-7.2, content of iron oxides no more than 10%, absence of solid parts - metal, wood, stones, glass, etc. .

To carry out fermentation, organic waste is piled on a level area with a permissible slope. The piles can have different sizes: width - 1.7-2 m, length - 15-80 m and height - 1.5-2 m. This depends on the available labor and means of mechanization.

Under conditions of access to water and oxygen, under the influence of aerobic microorganisms present on the substrate (fungi, actinomycetes, bacteria), organic waste decomposes. As a result of the hydrolytic breakdown of high-molecular compounds (proteins, fats, carbohydrates), intermediate and final low-molecular products are formed, which are consumed by worms.

The fermentation process of the substrate takes place in two temperature conditions. After laying the piles, the temperature inside the substrate rises to thermophilic values (50-60°C), and then decreases to mesophilic values (25-35°C) and after a few months drops to ambient temperature. The stability of this indicator indicates the end of fermentation and the suitability of the substrate for feeding worms. Biothermal processes that occur at a temperature of 50-60°C have a detrimental effect on pathogenic microflora, eggs and larvae of helminths, weed seeds, and urea and hypuric acid, which are contained in pus, decompose into ammonia, carbon dioxide and water. In addition to ammonia, a certain amount of methane is also released, which also has a detrimental effect on worms.

In summer, at high temperatures, the piles are periodically watered with water and wastewater to maintain humidity at 70%.

During fermentation in the substrate, the pH of the medium is controlled. A slight fluctuation in pH from the optimal (6.8-7.2) negatively affects the growth and development of aerobic microflora, and therefore the intensity of fermentation processes. Excess acidity is neutralized by adding the required amount of chalk, oil shale ash and other substances.

To ensure sufficient aeration of the substrate that is being fermented, to activate microbiological processes, to equalize the humidity of the substrate throughout the entire volume, and to eliminate aerobic rotting zones in the depths of the pile, it is mixed. The unevenness of substrate mixing should not exceed 10% in terms of the coefficient of variation of moisture content in the mass.

The full fermentation period of the substrate in piles under natural fermentation mode depends on the type of organic waste and can last up to 6-12 months. Speed up this process to 1-3 months. possible by blowing hot steam through pipes into the substrate.

An indicator of the readiness of the substrate is the ratio of carbon to nitrogen (C:N), which should be within 20.

Worm food should not contain pesticides, large amounts of protein (no more than 25-30%), ammonia, methane, pathogenic microflora, eggs and helminth larvae. When the feed contains 40% protein, the worms die.

As practice shows, food for worms can be various organic wastes from both agricultural and industrial production. But it is best that the basis of any diet for worms is pus, to which other organic components are added in a certain proportion. Large organic waste particles need to be crushed (up to 1 mm, no more).

In some farms that raise rabbits, the disposal of pus using the vermiculture method is carried out in this way: boxes with a mixture of soil, shredded paper and sand at the bottom are placed under the cages with rabbits, into which worms are released. Fresh excrement that comes from the cells is processed by the worms. Adding sand is necessary for normal nutrition of the worms.

Chicken manure belongs to highly acidic substrates, so crop waste or cardboard must be added to it in a 1:1 ratio and fermented for 15-16 months.

When using manure biomass, it is necessary to adhere to certain conditions: you cannot use pus that has not undergone the fermentation process as a base substrate, and you cannot use pus that has lain for more than 2 years after fermentation to feed worms.

It has been established that unfermented pus can be used to feed worms, which has been well tested for suitability (acidity, temperature, humidity, sample of 50 worms). Since it is applied in a layer of only 5 cm, i.e. There is no danger of fermentation.

Regardless of the type of substrate that is fermented, the feed should contain 20-25% cellulose in the form of chaff from straw, paper, cardboard, etc.

Conditions for keeping worms in beds.

After the formation of the beds, it is necessary to regularly monitor the physical and chemical indicators (temperature, humidity, acidity, 50-worm test) of the feed and monitor the state of the worm population.

After moving in, it is recommended to introduce a new portion of food only after 25-35 days. After this, the worms are fed regularly and only after processing the previous feed. In spring, summer and autumn every 7-10 days, and in winter every 25-35 days. Each new food must undergo fermentation and quality testing.

New food is introduced in a layer 5-7 cm thick not over the entire surface of the bed, but first to an area of 1.4-1.6 m2 (or 70-80%), and the remaining 0.4-0.6 m2 area of the bed remains free and plays the role of an additional insurance platform in case the new food does not meet the requirements. Worms crawl into this area, avoiding new food. If there is no migration of worms during the day, then this part of the bed area is filled with food.

You should strictly adhere to the feeding schedule for the worms and at the same time monitor the completeness of the food, because if there is not enough food, the worms crawl out of their beds, and if there is an excess amount, the gas exchange and respiration of the worms becomes more difficult.

If the worms are insufficiently active and have poor food intake, it is recommended to loosen the substrate with a blunt fork, avoiding mixing of its different layers. This should be done systematically 1-2 times a week, which improves aeration in the bed, promotes the release of harmful gases from it and the flow of fresh air into the crop. When aeration deteriorates, the worms begin to “suffocate” and die because they breathe over the entire surface of the body.

To maintain optimal humidity in the boxes, they are periodically moistened. This is best done in the morning and evening to prevent a sharp contrast between the temperature of the water and the temperature of the contents of the beds. During periods of high insolation, the bed should be covered with mats moistened with water.

The water used to moisten worm beds must meet certain requirements. Water can be used from a well, river, canal, or well. It is necessary to conduct a chemical analysis of the water that will be used to moisten the beds for the presence of toxic substances.

Assessment of the state of the worm population.

The state of the worm population is assessed based on growth and development indicators by monthly counting their numbers and determining their age composition. This is done as follows. In different places of the bed (in a checkerboard pattern or diagonally), samples of the substrate with worms with an area of 10x10 cm are taken from its entire depth. All worms are selected from these samples, their number is counted and their biomass is determined (that is, weighed). Then the obtained average results are multiplied by 100 and thus the average number and biomass of worms per 1 m 2 is determined.

However, an increase in the mass of worms is not a clear indicator. When feeding nutritious food, you can get a significant increase in the weight of the worms, but they will not lay cocoons.

The reproduction of worms is affected by population density. As it increases, the excitability of the worms increases and stress from overpopulation negatively affects reproduction. Therefore, when breeding vermiculture, it is necessary to determine the optimal population density, which, in turn, will significantly depend on the final goal - obtaining vermicompost or biomass.

The intensity of worm reproduction is also significantly influenced by food: its availability, quality, calorie content, attractiveness, and variety.

Therefore, during a quantitative census of the number of worms, the age composition of the population is also determined by separately counting cocoons, young and adult worms, and the average number of embryos in the cocoons is determined. The ratio of different age groups gives an idea not only of the general state of the population, but also of the possible future. If adult worms and cocoons predominate in the population over young forms, this indicates that vermiculture conditions prevent the development of embryos and the emergence of young animals. Correct analysis will make it possible to make changes to the conditions of detention and optimize the parameters of the vermicultivation process.

Technological methods for sampling worms - layer-by-layer removal of worms. Before introducing new food into the bed, remove a 5-centimeter layer of the previous one. After 6-7 days, a layer of the same thickness, which contains 50-60% of the worm population, is again removed and transferred to a new bed. In place of the removed layer, fresh feed of the same thickness is added. Again, after 6-7 days, this layer is removed, and it contains 25-35% of the worm population, they are also transferred to a new bed. Again, new food is introduced and there will be remnants of the population in it, which is selected after 6-7 days. This method achieves almost complete (95-97%) and, very importantly, painless sampling of the population for worms.

When worms process 1 ton of pus (in terms of dry biomass), up to 600 kg of vermicompost is obtained containing 25-40% humic substances, which contain about 1% nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and all the trace elements necessary for plants. The last 400 kg of organic nutrients are transformed into 100 kg of complete protein in the form of live worm biomass.

The biomass of worms contains 17-23% of dry matter and in dry matter: protein 60-80%, carbohydrates - 17%, lipids - 6-9%, mineral salts - 15%, nitrogenous extract substances - 7-16%, many enzymes, vitamins, microelements, as well as almost all amino acids, including such essential ones as lysine and methionine.

Worm biomass is used in animal husbandry, human nutrition and pharmacology.

The biotechnological process for producing vermicompost is based on the ability of worms to use organic residues, transform them in the intestinal canal and excrete them in the form of coprolites.

During the digestion of organic waste, humic substances are formed in the intestines of worms. They differ in chemical composition from humus, which is formed in the soil with the participation of only microflora, because in the intestines of worms, processes of polymerization of decay products of organic substances occur and molecules of humic acids are formed, which form complex compounds with mineral components that are stored for a long time in the form of persistent formations . The concentration of humic substances in worm coprolites is 4-8 times higher than in manure biomass. Coprolites are dense, odorless, black-brown sticks that do not cake. Coprolites form the basis of a substance called vermicompost, and their granular form gives it a crumbly appearance, which is very important for structuring the soil.

Biohumus or vermicompost is an organic fertilizer obtained as a result of the decomposition of organic substances by heterotrophic organisms. It is based on coprolites of worms. In addition, microflora and microfauna, which are part of the biocenosis of the compost pile, take part in its formation.

The composition and properties of vermicompost depend on the composition of the original substrate and the technology of composting - vermicultivation. Vermicompost accumulates a large amount of macro and microelements, vitamins, antibiotics, amino acids and beneficial microflora. Vermicompost is hydrophilic, has high water resistance, moisture capacity, mechanical strength, and does not contain weed seeds. Vermicompost can retain up to 70% of water and is 15-20 times more effective than any organic fertilizer.

Breeding Californian worms at home will not be a big hassle for anyone, but it does not require significant financial investments for their maintenance and breeding. By starting such a business, we save our precious time and, moreover, receive a very attractive profit. The California worm is an ideal converter of any organic plants into vermicompost.

California worms photo

California worms - breeding and maintenance

First, you need to prepare a place where California worms will be kept and reproduce. California worms can be bred in the country house, garage, basement, etc. A container may be suitable as a place for it, or you can make a depression in the ground, which, without fail, must be lined with natural material to prevent the California worm from crawling away. We have prepared a house for worms. Next, we need to buy a soil mixture with worms and place it in the prepared place. It is advisable to level the soil a little. You can use humus or rotten leaves as a substrate, even kitchen waste will do. Thanks to these additives, they will be comfortable, soft and nourishing. To enrich the soil with oxygen, it is advisable to dig it up 2 times within one week.

The life activity of red Californian worms is adversely affected by soil oxidation. To prevent this, it is imperative to carefully and regularly check the soil to ensure that it does not contain metal impurities, which cause its oxidation. Approximately once a week the worms need to add new layers of food. Having processed the organic substances in the ground, they leave this place and leave behind very valuable vermicompost.

Over time, the layer of soil mixture in the container will increase. When it reaches a certain height, the worms, along with the top layers, must be transferred to another place, and the vermicompost obtained from them must be taken away. Temperature plays an important role when growing Californian worms. The most optimal temperature for worms is in the degree range from +10 to +25 Celsius. In case of temperature changes, nutrition decreases and they reproduce more slowly. The upper temperature limit is around 40 degrees Celsius. If the temperature drops below +5 degrees Celsius, red Californian worms hibernate and stop feeding and reproducing. Cases of their death are not uncommon. We should not forget about the humidity in the container. The optimal percentage of humidity, when the worms feel most comfortable, is in the range of 60-70. In addition, direct sunlight is very harmful and even destructive for worms. California worms give their preference to plant foods.

It is not recommended to feed worms with citrus foods. Citrus plant product can increase acidity in the soil. Apple cores and porridge, banana peels and bread, coffee grounds and rotten vegetables are useful for worms. But it is best to completely exclude the meat product. Experts recommend periodically watering the soil with diluted substrate (add the remaining kefir or sour cream to the water). Due to the presence of milk sticks in the above products, they significantly contribute to improving the nutrition of worms. But even in this case, you cannot overdo it; such solutions can lead to peroxidation of the soil.

In addition to the above, the fermentation process of various products can cause oxidation of the substrate, so excessive amounts of food are also harmful for worms. Food for California worms must be added as it is consumed. It would be a good idea to periodically add sand and egg shells to California worms. Speaking of sand, grains of sand have a beneficial effect on digestive processes.

During its growth, the Californian worm can process compost equal to its own weight in one day. Over time, productivity decreases slightly. However, the weight of such a worm is already much greater. Under favorable maintenance conditions, one Californian worm can produce offspring of approximately one and a half thousand individuals over the course of a calendar year. The average lifespan of a worm is 10 to 16 years. If you purchase 2-3 thousand worms, you will have fertilizer for about 3-4 acres of land within a year.

Video about breeding Californian worms

I love gardening so much that at an already mature age I decided to sell my apartment and move to the village. I looked at a house (affordable) 10 km from the city - and off I went. It didn’t even frighten me that the plot was only about two acres, beyond that there was a swamp and knee-deep hummocks.

I sold the apartment and decided to spend part of the money on improving the site. A federal highway was being laid nearby, I agreed with the drivers, and about 20 acres of this swamp was covered with rocky soil with a layer of about 70 cm, and the rocky soil was covered with anything: clay, earth from the hills through which the route passed - in general, as long as the mass was.

Digging up all this, I laid grass cut from the swamp, manure, and dolomite flour. For seven years I kept a cow and rabbits. My approach to growing vegetables was this: no matter how much it grows, it’s enough for me.

But I dreamed about the garden... Were there any helpers? No. None of the three sons were interested in working on the land. If I ask you to do some hard work, they will help you, but they won’t. Yes, I wasn’t offended: everyone has their own families, their own problems, worries. This is my hobby, why should I be offended by them if they have their own priorities? As the eldest once said: “Mom, I don’t force you to solder parts, don’t force me to dig holes in the ground.”

How to start breeding Californian worms

Well, I planted the garden, it was already bearing fruit with might and main. Children and grandchildren came, and I was pleased to see how the kids feasted on berries and squealed with delight. The situation with vegetables was worse. Due to the increased acidity of the soil, cabbage and beets did not grow, and other vegetables did not produce good harvests. What kind of fertility can we talk about if not a single earthworm was found when digging the site?

I read that there is a California worm that can turn a compost heap into vermicompost over the summer. I wish I could have one like this, I dreamed. But they say whoever seeks will always find. So they gave me 25 pieces, placed them in a bucket, poured humus on top and tied them with a piece of cloth so they wouldn’t run away. These delicate creatures will freeze to death in winter on our Far Eastern land. What's next? I couldn’t find any information about them; I wasn’t familiar with a computer at that time. Several times I asked my youngest son to find at least some information on the Internet. Alas, there is zero information on Russian websites.

However, I found it and was surprised at what I found out. It turns out that the “Californian” has a reproduction rate hundreds of times higher than its fellow, which we discover when digging up a plot! If our worm produces 15-25 offspring per year, then the Californian one produces 1000-1200. This species was bred in the USA in the 1960s and, due to its unique properties for the rapid production of vermicompost, was banned for sale in the USSR and socialist countries. If you put about 700-800 pieces of California worm into a compost heap weighing 1 ton, then by autumn they will turn this waste into 500-600 kg of pure vermicompost. As it turned out later, the worms are also capable of destroying the source of nematode infection.

Food for California worms should be thoroughly crushed and served periodically in small portions. It is necessary to add sand to it, which worms need, like chickens need pebbles, to improve digestion. Tap water cannot be used: chlorine is poisonous for worms.

Continuing his further search for information about worm breeding, his son met farmers in the USA, Canada, and Germany via the Internet. He became so interested that he himself began to monitor the condition of the worms given to me, which is why he had to come to me more often. He spent a lot of time in the open air, among bushes and trees, and I saw that life in the village began to bring him great pleasure. He received a lot of advice from foreign friends and, through trial and error, began to develop his own technology for growing vegetables, taking into account our harsh climate. Only we have already acquired other worms that do not freeze here in winter.

We both love to experiment, but we couldn’t even imagine that this activity was so interesting and exciting! For example, it was a discovery to learn that worms have 5 hearts. We got so carried away that my son began to pay little attention to business, lost his company, and while I was helping him, I almost abandoned the garden, and it gradually began to fall into disrepair.

California worms love to be cared for

It was simply heartbreaking that the trees were disappearing one after another, but we had to help our son feed the worms, water them, select them, sort them, pack them (we had already supplied them to fishing stores) and, most importantly, provide him with moral support. As my son later admitted to me, he wanted to quit this business more than once.

I made too many mistakes, and often the worms simply died. But it was a shame to quit, because he saw that I always brought everything I planned to the end. And I repeatedly convinced him that everything would work out.

Three more years passed. Finally, I accumulated so much knowledge and experience that I realized: now you can’t pull a guy out of the village with a rope. He bred his own breed of worms, which he conventionally called the Red Manchurian, wrote a small book about his experience in breeding worms for fishing, studied the works of Professor, Doctor of Medical Sciences, biotechnologist A.M. Igonin, academician I.P. Melnikov and other scientists.

All of them have repeatedly pointed out that the use of mineral fertilizers initially gives good results, but then the soil quickly reacts to chemicals and pesticides, the soil is depleted, and not only pests and weeds die, but also beneficial representatives of flora and fauna. And the fastest and most effective way to revive the fertility and strength of the earth is the use of vermicompost.

And then the moment came when we switched to the production of vermicompost.

Testing vermicompost in practice - in your garden

Time passed.

Vermicompost has already been produced in tons, and customers have appeared for it. In the summer, my granddaughters began to help, and my help was finally not needed. I started gardening and growing vegetables again. And at 73 years old I had to start a new garden. Since the site is located near a swamp, I built hills about 70 cm high and planted apple trees, pears, other trees and shrubs on them and formed everything in a creeping form, even plums. Now there is a lot of covering material on sale, and covering them for the winter is no problem. In my garden there are cherries, currants, raspberries, blackberries, mulberries, red, yellow, black viburnum (sweet) and much more. There are many flowers in the area. Even such rare southerners as Brugmansia and garden hibiscus delight with their beauty.

The first tests of vermicompost took place on my site. It proved to be the most powerful organic fertilizer that we have used previously. 1 kg of vermicompost produced by worms has properties superior to 50 kg of manure! And it acts in the soil for 3-5 years. Laboratory tests showed that the acidity of vermicompost is 6-7.5 pH, so cabbage, which does not tolerate acidic soil, began to produce crops. The potassium content in vermicompost is 1.2-2%, phosphorus - up to 2%, in addition, vermicompost is a unique microbiological fertilizer that allows you to quickly restore the balance of microorganisms that are so necessary for depleted, degraded soils.

When planting cabbage seedlings, I poured a handful of vermicompost into the holes, mixed it with soil, and didn’t feed anything else all summer, just weeded and loosened.

Cabbage produced heads of 5-10 kg, and we were pleased with the harvest of beets, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes and other vegetables. My son chuckles when I go to harvest with a bucket, and I come back and take a wheelbarrow...

I also use vermicompost for pest control, for this I dissolve 1 glass of vermicompost in a bucket of water, let it sit for 24 hours, strain, add 100 g of powdered laundry soap and spray the plants.

At first, we could not understand why the pests began to disappear. It turned out that the extract from vermicompost corrodes the chitinous coating of insects. Pests are now avoiding my garden.

Alpha grapes have begun to please us with their harvest, and other varieties have been planted, but how they will behave remains to be seen in the summer. Fertilizing strawberries with vermicompost increased their yield by 10 times. Varieties Bogota, First-grader, Solnechnaya Polyanka. Pearl and Favorite simply amazed us with their size!

And Dad (or Batyanya) is generally the size of a chicken egg! And it’s especially nice to hear positive reviews from other farmers about the vermicompost we produce.

That's how my hobby became a turning point in my son's life. You know, he now considers himself a happy person. Now he is an individual entrepreneur for the production of organic fertilizers, and increasingly began to ask questions about the cultivation of this or that crop, about grafting trees, their formation, about varieties, sustainability, etc.

I’m also not standing still - I’m mastering the cultivation of a new crop for us in our rather harsh climate - sweet potatoes. The first harvest was obtained last year from one tuber. This year I will set aside a decent bed for it, we really liked it.

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