Great got it! Thanks a million Shaul

J

me too! me too, Please! anmlvr01@verizon.net

got it just fine, thanks!

Awesome! Thanks, Shaul.
Lynn

Wondering if someone would be able to get of copy of the worm calculator. Thanks in advance. bennett.macdonald@gmail.com

Shaul, could you please send me a copy of the worm calculator.
yvrwormfarm AT hotmail DOT ca
Please note it's dot ca, not dot com
Thanks very much in advance.

You're both quite welcome. Copy sent.

Shaul

Hi Shaul. Got it and thanks again.
I definitely need some time to digest it.
How close is the result with your squirms?

Can anyone send me a copy of the worm calculator as i am busy setting up a farm here in Kuwait and have developed my own system but I am not sure if mine is working and would like to compare on the system that's been proven. Thanks. John1333

I am very interested in this calculator.

homeinametronome@gmail.com

I have my own spreadsheet calculator too I can send you if you want.

Sent as requested.

Shaul

Shaul,
Thank you for such a logical spreadsheet. I do have a few questions re the bins information, but I assume it has some connection with weights and sales of worms which does not affect me as I want every worm i can get. I will contact you off line as I think that section will be very advantageous to me once I have had some advice. Thanks again J

I'd also like a copy.

rdake @ fieldstudies dot 0rg

Just to be clear, so that there are no misunderstandings.
The Worm Calculator is not my creation, so I don't have any more information about it than anyone else does. I'm just continuing what Marauder started (see the beginning of this thread) by sending it out to whoever asks.

Shaul

For anyone wanting to know more about the Calculator, I would suggest reading this thread from beginning to end.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/verm/msg1022522012937.html

While most of it is Marauder sending it out to people, it does contain bits & pieces of information which may help.

Shaul

I'd like to get a copy of this if I could. Billhc83@gmail.com

Thanks a bunch.

Thanks works great.

Got it, works great!

Dont forget petrock1963@aol.com
I would like a copy as well thanks

I would love a copy! austin.graham86@gmail.com
My son is making a worm farm for a science project and this might help with his calculations.

I would like a copy. Please email it to
turndav at turnerdavis dot com.
Thanks!

please send a copy of the calculator to :

bacrouter@yahoo.com

thanks

Hey Maurauder maybe you ought to post this on Ebay or something. Seems to be a demand out there.

camperiociani.j@husky.neu.edu

can you send me the calculator??

Petrock;

Sounds like Marauder is sitting off on the side just waiting for your call. If you have a way to contact him, please do so. Sadly, he hasn't been heard from, for the last year and a half.

Shaul

This post was edited by shaul on Sat, Mar 23, 13 at 6:51

Thanks Works!

I also would like a copy.

Sshuford2@sc.rr.com

Hi All
I just started the vermicomposting in my back yard in some baskets. I am wondering if there is any one to email me the Worm Calculator ?
it sounds amazing .
my email: emad_l_110@yahoo.com
thanks a lot

Sent.

Shaul

Any way I could get a copy?
jbeidel@gmu.edu

Thanks!!

Sent.

Shaul

can I get a copy? iansmellis@gmail.com
Thanks

I wanna a copy:

funnybunnies1998-dvds (at) yahoo (dot) com

I am planning on setting up a worm composter for next years garden. The worm calculator sounds like something I would need, probably to monitor populations to make sure I am keeping the bin at optimum moisture, etc.

email is: nanchugh(at) grm (dot) net.

Thanks in advance.

Marauder01, with your spreadsheet, I started out with only half of a worm with a 10% loss per week and one worm per egg capsule. And still end up with over a pound of worms.

Go back and read through the Whole Thread from the beginning and then you'll understand.

Shaul

I have been contemplating this post for over a year now, since when Marauder01 had it. I think I am the only vermicomposter in the world who has not requested a clean copy of the calculator. Perhaps if I had downloaded it sooner my worms would have multiplied better. But, alas, my worms do not know how to read, nor calculate, thus they will remain at a rate of growth that seems to me as if I started with half a worm (.5?) with a 10% loss per week and one worm per egg capsule. 'cepting I don't ever see any egg capsules. (In my old system.)

The worm calculator sounds very fun. Marauder01 no doubt knew how to raise them worms. But even way back when "Go back and read through the Whole Thread from the beginning." I had my doubts on the calculations. While the requests are many there have been zero to my knowledge "and that is the results I got" replies.

I am glad Shaul had a "clean copy" I guess this means without information keyed into it already, fresh for a wormer to add their facts and figures to.

This is a request for a new post titled something like "My Results Matched the Worm Calculator". Perhaps bin type, time vermicoposting, feeding material and rate, bedding and rate, reason for vermicomposting, rid of kitchen waste, sell worms, sell vermicompost could be included.

Alternate is Worm Calculator needs re calibrating if conditions are not ideal. This is my results.

Shaul you have no doubt read lots about vermicomposting. In your readings, do vermicomposter's results match the under ideal conditions Worm Calculator?

Would running the calculations for two or thee years result in a world filled with worms and no people?

Does the system balance out due to people stopping meeting the needs?

Yesterday, I wrote a message on this subject that was all about how during my years of worming my processes and techniques and observances had just about completely changed the way I started doing things...you know, after reading "Worms Eat My Garbage" and all the other Holy Grail's that people cash in on by selling all those expertises to us.

What I have learned after all these years is there ain't one way, or a best way, or a breakthrough. Simplicity and common sense and diversity and moderation and patience and worms are all that you need.

I trash-canned that slanderous, self-righteous sounding post because I haven't read most of the thread, wont, and cannot care less....and know nothing about the Worm Calculator-clean or otherwise.

Then, EQ2 posted his thoughts.

Bravo.

Chuckiebtoo

Having specifically, mostly on this board but also on a few other non-worm boards, written more slanderous, self-righteous sounding posts over the years, including some as a moderator, that possibly should have been trash-caned than one should be allowed, I still sometimes click on that "post" button. Then freak and hope I did not crush someone's good efforts or that I did crush somebody's advertising efforts. I have read most of the thread and it goes like this: Sweet person politely requests copy of calculator. After some address paperwork the request is sent. Sweet person thanks profusely. Rinse and Repeat. Never heard from again. Nobody has ever come back to say it was da bomb. As the calculator's originator has not been heard from in a while the job was take up and the process maintained. The best judge as to if the calculator is accurate or if everybody just figures they are not doing it right thus do not get the expected results would be Shaul. Actually everybody who has ever requested the calculator would be qualified to say if the calculator worked. If the calculator did not work possibly we as a team could rework it for what hobbiests could expect under real working conditions not ideal laboratory conditions. I am not quite sure why out of hundreds(?) of calculator requester's never did even one return back and comment upon how it worked for them. It is like they all left and have tons upon tons of worms working away for them and those of use here however have worm issues we are discussing.

Here are all of Marauder's posts on his 'Worm Calculator'. I have copy/pasted all of them in chronological order, culling out anything that didn't directly apply.

Shaul

Posted by marauder01 (My Page) on
Fri, Oct 23, 09 at 22:52

Hi all.

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 indefinitely?).

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)?

Posted by marauder01 (My Page) on
Sat, Oct 24, 09 at 18:38

I know! It seems to be soooo slow at the start. I had a similar experience with mine too. I got impatient in the end and bought another 4000 to boot things along.

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.

Posted by marauder01 (My Page) on
Wed, Oct 28, 09 at 17:14

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.

Posted by marauder01 (My Page) on
Thu, Oct 29, 09 at 20:12

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

Posted by marauder01 (My Page) on
Mon, Jan 25, 10 at 18:07

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

Posted by marauder01 (My Page) on
Sat, Apr 17, 10 at 19:26

I based the calcs on 10 weeks to be conservative, but am now convinced the time is actually shorter (maybe 5-7 weeks).

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

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)

Posted by marauder01 (My Page) on
Wed, Feb 23, 11 at 4:41

"It calculates weekly growth based on conservative assumptions. In the tests I did, it's close to right for MY conditions, to a point. In 9 months, it was accurate. After that, I didn't expand my system, therefore the population didn't match the numbers. You'll see if you plug in some numbers.
My goal was to be able to predict when populations would boom, and when I would have enough worms to give away 1000 per week indefinitely.

Posted by marauder01 (My Page) on
Tue, Oct 18, 11 at 6:19

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

The dates you find to start with are from my early totes.

Well, I for one can say that I didn't post any results because I haven't had any. When Shaul sent me the copy, I sat and studied it for a while, plugged in some numbers, and got totally confused. I admit the numbers were total guesswork. My bin had been going for a while and I had no idea (and still don't know) how many worms there are.

After reading Shaul's most recent post, I think it makes a bit more sense now, but I have to wonder if the main reason no one has posted results is because a lot of worm composters, after getting the calculator, realize as I did that they just don't need to know exactly how many worms they have or could produce. The bins are just for their own use and the calculator is way more complicated than it has to be for home use. Maybe I'm way off base, but that was why for me. :)

Lynn

Three points to remember.

Oct. 23, 2009. " excel spreadsheet to try and calculate just how fast a population could grow."

Oct 24, 2009 : " remember, the numbers out of it are theoretical (but possible). "

Jan. 25, 2010. " It will never be 100% accurate, but it gives you a ball park idea of how the breeding process works."

So here it is Short & Sweet.
Marauder created an Excel Spreadsheet. He plugged in some numbers and the computer did the math. The whole thing is based on Theory ( Not Fact.)
There were No Scientific Experiments, No Extensive Field Tests,
This doesn't mean that The Calculator is totally useless, just that it shouldn't be taken as the Word of God.

Shaul

This post was edited by shaul on Fri, May 17, 13 at 8:44

Dear All,
I have made a calculator which ncludes the marauder (thenk you!) section. I have made it so all variables can be changed so you can create scenarios. It is essentiall y for commercial vermicomposting but the home composter can still work out the numbers by entering the purchase quantity on a date and then at one point sorting the worms into a total group and weighing them. 1 gram (sorry I don't use ounces) is good for the average red wiggler but you will have to take an average if you use night crawlers as they are bigger, etc. You can then determine how many you have as a total mixed. This will give you an idea for modifying the variables and this will give you a very close figure. If you purchase more worms later i have included a column for that entry. If you want to sell vermicompost then add in your selling price and the percentage return you expect i.ie. 1 kg waste = 50% VC. You will then see if you can make a profit or loss. I have also included start up costs and running costs which will affect the profit margin. Start up costs are spread over 10 months. It does work.

I'd like a copy of the worm calculator. My address is glossostigma (_ot_) yahoo

~Thanks!

I know that this is a very old thread, but if it would be possible to get a copy of this worm calculator spreadsheet, it would be appreciated. it can be sent to gd48202 @ gmail dot com

Thanks in advance

Just like Chris I realize how old this thread is, but fingers crossed it is still possible to get a copy of this spreadsheet. Billion thanks.. amiworqueen @ gmail dot com

No Thanks necessary. This thread is dead and buried and should remain there. And Good Riddance to it.

The worm calculator is not here and hasn't been here for about a decade. This is a dead topic.

My Final word about the worm calculator. Not so long ago, I transferred my copy from my computer to a CD. and Permanently Erased it from my computer. Afterwards, I took the CD outside with a heavy hammer, smashed it into a million pieces, ground the pieces into powder, soaked the powder in gasoline and set it on fire. Any other questions??

Yeah, were the worms dancing while all this was going on? Sorry, you DID beg for questions.