Hello All,
Craig Sheppard here, the producer of Phoenix Worms. We want to address the several questions raised on this topic so please excuse the length of this post. First, the calcium content of PWs is provided in this nutritional comparison chart :
http://store01.prostores.com/servlet/thephoenixwormstore/Page?template=comparison. PPM (parts per million) is the standard way micronutrients are reported. Waldo asked about the mg of calcium per gram of worm--8155ppm = 8.155mg calcium/gram of PW. The calcium in PWs occurs naturally. We do not gut load or artificially add calcium.
Most feeder insects are very high in phosphorus and low in calcium. This imbalance (ratio) is not good because the high phosphorus overpowers calcium and it can't be used by animals so metabolic bone disease (MBD) can develop. That's why most insects should be dusted with calcium--to improve the calcium
hosphorus ratio by making them more equal (experts state that the ideal ratio is 1.5:1). Phoenix Worms are unique in that they naturally have a balanced Ca
ratio so please do not dust them. Frankly, we know how much calcium your animal receives when fed Phoenix Worms, but how much calcium is provided from dust that clings to crickets?
Breeders began feeding Phoenix Worms in 2000 and many thousands of customers have been feeding these worms for three years now. There has been NO report of any problem with excess calcium. There have been many reports of cured MBD, improved reproduction and better color in animals. Recently completed breeder trials show that babies that are fed PWs grow 26% faster than their hatchmates who are only fed crickets. We believe that PWs are an excellent staple and certainly are a wonderful supplement to improve nutrition when fed along with other feeders.
Our expertise is in insects, not animals. We rely on breeders and hobbyists for feedback. We welcome any information you'd care to share, whether good or bad, and promise to read all email.
Craig Sheppard, Ph.D.
President, Insect Science Resource
Professor Emeritus, UGA
http://www.phoenixworm.com