Silkworm chow questions

So I ordered 500 silkworm eggs, and they are hatching now...of course when I was not ready!
So I just made the chow tonight, and am waiting to put it in the fridge to cool so I can feed them in the morning, hoping they will last until then.

Does anyone know how long 300+ silkworms will last on 2lbs of chow? I've never had them before, but I've read that they pretty much just park and eat. And if they're like all the other caterpillars I've seen they can probably put away a lot. I'm already ordering more chow, so that's not an issue.

I was also a bit confused about how to mix the powder, but I think I got it right. It's supposed to be somewhat pliable when warm and then harden more like a soft cheese when cooled right?

Also, is it okay to put the chow down on top of some of the silkworms and they can in theory 'eat' their way out? Because I'm not sure I can move them all seeing how small they are and how many there are!

Thanks!

You can grate the chow over the tops of the worms, use the smallest hole cheese grater you can find. For newly hatched babies, cut a thin strip of chow and lay it next to them, they will crawl onto it.

Chow is very convenient.

Can't aways source a reliable supply of fresh mulberry leafs here so it's a great standby.

I do essentially what is suggested above - I use sharp thin bladed filleting knife to slice of thin slips of prepared chow.

I also make up my chow 80g at a time as sausages wrapped in gladwrap and keep them in the refrigerator in a sealed plastic takeaway tub.

Thanks, but they're already grown up and eaten now! :lol: