Cricket Farming

    So, as always I've been up to something new involving animals. I've heard of people farming meal worms but I wanted something basically free and for me to be able to use things I had around the house. At the time I had a sick chicken who needed extra protein and of course chickens love crickets, quick and easy protein for them. So I searched online in order to set up my little farm. I don't plan on churning out thousands just a few hundred so I can give my girls a treat at least once a week. I've also thought about freezing them to give to my hens during the winter. I think I'm going to try that as well. Anyway, here are my little instructions.

   Here's what you'll need to start a cricket farm. 

• Rubbermaid tub (at least 20 gallons)  *2 or 3 depending on how many you wish to raise*
• Sock
• Moist dirt
• Shallow (at least 4 inches) cup 
• Sour Cream cup (or something similar made of semi-hard plastic -something you can cut) 
• Dog Food (Cat food, Layer pellets, fresh fruit or salad) 
• Crickets

Make sure your Rubbermaid tub is clean, I recommend washing it with soap and water. Take your sock and cut a small portion off. (This will be their waterer) Then take your Sour Cream cup and cut a 1  inch by 1 inch square at the very top. (You will turn it upside down *without the lid* and the small hole should be like a little opening for the crickets to go into) Take your shallow cup and fill it with the moist dirt, and gently pack it lightly. ( This is for the crickets to lay their eggs in) Next, place you shallow cup, and sour cream dish in the Rubbermaid tub. You can arrange the tub however you like. Soak your sock in cold water and (don't squeeze) place it in the tub as well. Place a few pieces of food in and then place your crickets inside. The crickets aren't able to jump out of the tub since it is too high and the sides are too smooth for them to climb out of. Rubbermaid tubs have small holes on the inside right by the handles(or at least mine do) you can leave these uncovered for ventilation. Place the tub in the sun so it acts like a sauna. Crickets thrive in warm weather. Every 6 days place a new egg dish in the tub.
Take the old egg dish and  put it in the other Rubbermaid tub, fixed exactly the same way. It takes about 7-10 days for the crickets to hatch however you won't see them, because when they hatch they are extremely small. Countless people have said it took a full month for them to even see their baby crickets. So don't give up on them.

You should clean the tubs at least once a week. (I use one of those little cricket cages *small and round but tall I think they're for fishing* but another smaller Rubbermaid would work just as well. Place them in here while you are cleaning your tub.) Also check the food and water about every other day. I just wash the sock in a little soap and water, rinse thoroughly and then soak in cold water again, but then I cut a new strip about once a week. I feed my crickets dog food and they seem to do very well.
I recommend doing more research as well, I've only been at this for a few weeks. I only do half of what the people say to do since my rig is so small. And I don't intend to sell so there isn't really much point in using a heating pad or anything else to increase the temps. besides there really isn't much need either, it's been going over 100 everyday here.
Well, good luck!