I'm slowly trying to move towards increasing my herd to cover my family's waste needs, and also giving away as many worms to friends as I can (ie if I started with 1000, how long would it take before I could give away 1000 per week indefinately?).

Anyway, I have made a little excel spreadsheet to try and calculate just how fast a population could grow. Yes I can hear you now saying "...but there are many factors involved....yada..yada..." lol. True, but you have to start somewhere.

My VERY conservative assumptions are these:
-20 week life cycle (ie cocoon to sexual maturity)
-Each adult lays 1 cocoon per week
-Each cocoon hatches 2 reds in 10 weeks time (70 days)
-Adults live several years in good conditions

I have also added input boxes for starting number, and weekly loses (ie start with 100 mature worms, lose 10% per week, etc)

Guess how many you'd get in a year? lol

What do you think of my assumptions? Are they reasonable (given fair conditions, food and space)?

Since I can't post a file here, if you'd like a copy, post here and I'll try and email it to you.

Cheers

Jay

I am starting with about forty to fifty worms, of which I had about 15 adults and the rest were small ones. I have been wondering how long it would take to get enough to start a second ten gallon bin? we need enough worms for about 1 lb to 2 lbs of kitchen waste a week. Right now I am placing about a tablespoon of food in there, once a week!

Thanks!
Gina

I'll send the calc soonest, but remember, the numbers out of it are theoretical (but possible).

It will be interesting to trial a bin and compare it to the calc. I will start a new tote next week (already seasoning one now) with say 50 little fellas and see how it builds across time. Not exactly a clinical trial, but it will server my purpose, and let me modify my expectations (and the calc) to suit me and the way I run a wormery.

Fun stuff ahead! LOL

I have also added a weight calc (based on 1000 per lb) and you can now enter the number of young per cocoon.

I have also timelined it a bit, so you can enter a start date (past present or future) and it'll tell you when you have how many.

Next, I'll add moon phases and tides.

Jay

I would appreciate a copy of your worm calculator too!

Email: dtchenvmn@sbcglobal.net
Thank you!
Mike

I'll be interested to see how close I can tune it for my own herd management.

Cheers
Jay

My email address is happyhippie@i-love-cats.com

Thank you jay

HappyHappie =^..^=

It will never be 100% accurate, but it gives you a ball park idea of how the breeding process works.

Cheers

rythm_guru@yahoo.ca

Thanks,
Gina

One other nice thing is now you can predict when the population will boom, and feed / divide accordingly!

Kewl stuff.

PS Remember, when you talk life cycle, it's birth (ie cocoon layed) right up to laying a cocoon itself. So for eg. cocoon takes 4 - 8 week to hatch, baby to adult(breeder) another 6 - 8 weeks, cocoon layed. So total life cycle would be between 14-18 weeks (IMHO)

Thanks!

jay, can i have a copy?

thanks,

yu

Thanks!!

Sent OK.

ikanyu, gonna need an address to send it to if you still are interested.

Cheers

And thanks for my copy.

lelswelch@windstrean.net

Thanks

lels - bad email address. Bounced back.

Would it be windstream by chance?
LOL

Enjoy and happy worming!

Dave Nelson
dnelson26@wi.rr.com

lelswelch@windstream.net

Thanks

Shaul

lavshaur@netvision.net.il

I bet you didn't think this would be a full time job! If you're still feeling generous, could I please have a copy?

thebasiles777@yahoo.com

Thanks!

Always happy to help.

I found the calculator added an extra reason to become addicted, not that I needed any help there.

Cheers

Thanks so much for the calculator. It is truly a work of art.

You know, in the beginning everyone is impatient, saying: "Oh when will I have enough worms to process my food waste?"
Well, they should look at the other end of the calculator and realize that (under the right conditions of food supply, space to breed and living environment) within the short space of 2-years, they could be looking at 198,000,000 worms, weighing in at: over 50,000 lbs; and requiring over 25,000 lbs. of food/ every day.

Now that's a sobering thought.

Shaul

pgholaway@earthlink.net

Thanks! Pete

I would love a copy of your Worm Breeding Calculator. Waiting for my squirm to multiply is so hard. Be nice to sorta know when I will have "enough." Is there enough? I don't think so! (incert manic laughter, here.)

Anita

anitasplace7@hotmail.com

Thank-you,
Anita

Thank You so much!

The population doubling time is about 60-90 days. From the "Reuse of Sludge & Wastewater residuals by Alice Outwater, p. 118".
Colorado State University says doubling time is 4 months.

Also, here's some lifecycle information. The first set of numbers are from Kelly Slocum and where there's disagreement, the second set are from Edwards and Dominquez. Both are respected scientists in the worm world. I don't know why there are differences.

Eisenia Fetida
Reproductive rate: Approximately 10 young per worm per week under ideal conditions.
Average number of young per cocoon: Approximately 3.
Time to emergence from the cocoon: Approximately 30-75 days under ideal conditions. (Edwards and Dominguez say 18-26 days)
Time to sexual maturity from birth: 53 to 76 days (E and D say 21-30)
Time from cocoon to maturity: Approximately 85-150 days under ideal conditions. (Edwards and Dominguez say 45-51)
Survival - up to 5 years

I've found that I don't get anywhere NEAR the predictions. I'm doing my best to get 'ideal conditions', but clearly that's not happening.

For those with Blues (PEs), here's the numbers on them.
PE Maximum reproduction under ideal condtions:
19.5 cocoons per adult per week
90.7% hatching success rate
1.1 hatchlings per cocoon
Net reproduction of 19.4 young per adult per week
Maximum growth rate under ideal conditions:
16-21 days to cocoon hatch (E and D say 18)
29-55 days from birth to sexual maturity (E and D say 28-42)
45-76 days from cocoon to maturity (E and D say 40-71)

LKittleJr@AOL.com
Thanks very much.

larry

Thanks!

email dubliner@cox.net

Larry

LMAO!!!

PS srry, I blurt sometimes
PPS srry 'bout the long layoff, sent out the calculator to all. This is my original one, so shouldn't be corrupt or mucked up too much. Good Luck!

J

Leigh
gaitnalong@yahoo.com

If you want a copy, please keep posting, as I am checking this board more often now, so go forth and spread the worm! (Srry, I do amuse myself....)

Jay

hoberng at xtra.co.nz

This thing is pretty close to right now.

It really helps to open your eyes to the possibilities.

Thnaks smeegle, happy to help!

LOL, think I got the name wrong, but you do have funny critters over there! My precious! lol

Jay

My email is redwormsbc@hotmail.com

bboehrk AT gmail.com

Thanks so much!

Hope you enjoy. It does kind of open your eyes as to what is possible.

Good Luck!

I'd also appreciate your spreadsheet!
Thanks.

Happy 4th.

mycorestoration@hotmail.com

Cheers,
Andrew

Thanks!

crocpunter@yahoo.com

You are all very, very welcome.

So go forth and Multiple!!!!

Sent to both Good Luck!

Good Luck!

Jay

Thanks
Heidi

funkychickenchica@hotmail.com

:-0

Good Luck!!

I have looked it over some, and I see how Columns A-F work.

Not sure what the Columns G-R are or how they were developed. I see dates, which relate well to this thread. Somehow I doubt that the numbers there are actual weights and actual counts! :-) Anyone care to tell about these?

Clearly I'll need to look further at this neat spreadsheet as I have time.

Thanks!
Jim Marconnet

Thanks
Tammy

Columns G-R = enter a start date (in yellow at the top), for a tote, and predict what the weight of worm will be in the following weeks by looking at column G-H.

Only enter data in the yellow boxes

Hope this helps.

Jay

PS The dates you find to start with are from my early totes. :-)

My email is mwkruse (at) gmail.com

Thanks,

Mike