Build your own supply of live insect to feed insectivore birds

  DT is one of my close friend who is also my bird keeping mentor (especially white-rumped shama) send me few pics of his setup of breeding his own live insects to feed his shama.  As you can see in those pics below, he breeds mealworms, crickets, two type of cockroaches (B. lateralis and B. dubia) and very successful with them.  He said that he haven't bought any live insects from the store ever since he starts those breeding colony.  I also breed B. lateralis as well as few other friends and one thing that we all agree to success in raising your own live insects is heat.  Keeping those insects warm is one of the most important thing if you want to have constant supply of live insects to feed the birds.  As what to feed them, regular dog, cat food is cheap, good nutrients, and easy to buy at any pets shop.  Shallow water dish, water gel can be use to keep them hydrate.  Depends on how many birds you keep, have several containers of one kind of insect in several stage of life development is necessary to keep enough supply of insect to feed the bird at all time.  I still have a colony of few thousands of B. lateralis that I original bought 6,000 of them back in June 09 and I feed all the birds with those insects almost everyday in addition of bought crickets from the store.  Those roaches breed very well if keep them warm.