Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have raised tons (literally) of worms on a commercial scale. But that was years ago and my equipment is long past usable. Now that I have my ap system ready for fish, I am thinking about creating a small worm bin for feed purposes. Our cHickens could use the protein too.

We compost our kitchen scraps, so that could be utilized as a worm feed source. But for this to be effective, you have to reduce the particle size. I used to have a 55 steel drum we fitted with lawn mower blades that we used for this purpose. Top mounted motor spun the blades and a side hopper let us shovel the food in. Chopped feed fell out bottom.

Looking for ideas to do the same on a smaller scale. Something that I could dump the kitchen compost container into and have it minced.

Food processors aren't big or powerful enough, unless there are commercial versions that I have not seen.

What are people using to reduce particle size for worm food??

Thanks!!!

WSF,

Agree on use of smaller particles for worms as only recently discovered..

I use the kitchen food processor. Works a treat, but not high volume at high rate. Mrs Bee not too happy about it either, but she puts up as long as I supply her with strawberies.

I make a lovely vegie scrap smoothy. If you add water it becomes a paste. Cake become cake like on top of worm bin, so needs to be broken up a bit.

Welcome to AP!

what about a shredder - might need to put it few a few times to get really fine?

I use an electric one for shredding prunings in the garden.

On a similar topic, I was wondering last night how much mess it would make if I put fish heads and frames through it to feed the dog with (after breaking into sweat trying to put them through the mincer!). She tends to go and bury fish heads to 'ripen' if we give them to her whole.

Yea electric mulcher (shredder/chipper) would be the way to go, especially if you are talking of mulching whole plants, IE. Broccolli.

What about a garbage disposal. Couldn't you set up to collect scraps and drain out excess water?

Why do they need to be chopped so fine?... we just throw the fruit and veg scraps in the worm bins and they are gone within about two weeks.

Its just better Yabs, gets eaten quicker and less chance of disease, etc.

Okay...

I prefer to make mine work for their dinner... don't want obese worms with high blood pressure and elevated cholestrol etc.

Yeah I do the same , though takes them ages to get through a whole cabbage!

I would think so!...

...nice Spangled

When I was messing about with a filler for artificial rocks I had to pulverise a number of things. I got one of those bladed paint stirrers, sharpened the blades and used a big drill to power it.

EDIT
You may have to add extra water to get it to work well.

I designed a horizontal reactor for the vermicompost bin. Think of a racetrack; fresh waste is added to the one and until a desired height is reached. The end tends to slope off, so you just keep added to the slope as you go around the track. A few benefits of this design: the "old" waste is eaten up and eventually dries out making sifting much easier. The worms will migrate to the new feed just for the moisture content. This will also give time for the eggs to hatch so you can keep the population going. I've used this design from rubbermaid size to 40' x 40' to handle animal waste for a zoo. Works like a charm.

But, the food source has to be readily eaten or the worms will leave it behind and you just end up sifting it off. Reduced particle size is key for them to utilize the feed while there is still moisture content.

For the kitchen size waste, I tried the food processor. Ended up buying a new one for the missus after it burnt up. Side note: same thing happenned to her blender when I tried making my own fish food by chopping up fish heads.

I thought about the gargage disposal, but they take too much water. That much water will cause it to go anerobic and it will stink to high heavens.

The chipper/shredder would be the right size!! Now, I just need to find a good used one and tinker with the hopper so that it doesn't "gunk" up.

Thanks for the feedback!!

Thats why I said have it go into a sifter to strain the excess water before adding it.

@CityRootsFarm - Agreed ... sorry, I missed that part. That would work and you could potentially reuse the water for the next batch. Might be easier to find a used disposal than an electric chipper/shredder.

Gotta find something soon ... ground will start thawing next month and that's when you get your worm stock for the year!

Perhaps you could spread the scraps out on a flattened cardboard box then run the lawnmower over it on low setting? Maybe use a catcher then wash it all out over the worm bin?

I'm also trying to get into more worm farming, using old refidgerators drilled with lots of holes to keep them in.

Seems to be a tendancy for many to tend spend lots of money on petrol and electric shredders.. only to get annoyed about how little actually fits down the chute and having to constantly unblock them etc

petrol lawnmowers are fantastic, and when the blades are sharp, have more than enough power to go through sticks thick as your thumb