Do your chickens eat worms?? - Page 6

I got some cickens about five weeks ago how old do they have to be to eat worms and if the age they are at they can small worms or whateverAlso when are they old enough to live outsideCan they eat any bug they findHow big would their coop have to be for two chickens any suggestion on what kind of coop to getBy the way they are Golden Comets they are very sweet bred they are hybrid part Rhode Island RedAnd is there any websites that will sell you two or less baby chickens not egs chickensCan you add a baby chicken to two other five week old chickens they are Golden Comets so I want a Golden Comet or what other breds would go with Golden Comets and as sweet as a Golden Comet 

A couple weeks ago, I was feeding and watering my gl polish and when I picked up the water pan, out jumped a full grown mouse! Scared the hooey outta me but one of the hens grabbed that thing like it was a piece of porterhouse steak! It was the funniest thing ever watching her run around with that mouse in her beak trying to keep the others from taking it! I was shocked though...as long as I've been raising chickens, I've never seen one catch, kill, and eat a FULL GROWN MOUSE!

As for worms, my calls love em, but the chickens want no part of it!

sorry about the double post...my phone does that sometimes
Edited by animaladdictions - 2/28/12 at 5:16pm

My girls did not always like worms.  They prefer if I hold it for them!  Divas!  But now they like them and just love the meal worms I am breeding!  I will toss out a spaghetti noodle every once in a while and watch them chase each other around the yard.  They seem to enjoy the game of keep away!  They do that with worms, slugs and other bugs. Who knew they could be so picky?  Funny girls! 

small snacks, wow i didnt know that!  very helpful post thank u 

Normally it's just a matter of getting them accustomed to something novel. My birds at first wouldn't eat azolla (you know, the tiny water fern that is 1/3 protein and makes a fabulous feed supplement). Now I can't grow enough of the stuff. I've read about how comfrey makes such a fabulous fodder for poultry, but mine wouldn't touch it when I first gave it to them, and they still eye it suspiciously. But I have no idea why the OP's chickens never warmed to the worms even after months--that does seem strange... Perhaps try mixing the worms with other feed in a trough or other container? That's how I got mine to eat azolla at first.

 

As to worms being a dangerous source of parasites, I think this is silly. I've heard people say that about slugs and cockroaches too, and I don't buy that either. Just about EVERYTHING, apparently, could be a source of parasites one kind or another--but healthy chickens rarely have problems with any of them. To me it only makes sense to focus on promoting health, not worrying about potential vectors hiding behind every corner...

 

I sure HOPE I can get mine to eat worms--in the past they haven't been particularly enthusiastic. But I'm getting some red wigglers for compost soon and I'm hoping to make the surplus worms a part of the chickens' and ducks' feed rations....

Edited by sky the chicken man - 4/10/12 at 5:43pm

When we go out to add to or turn the manure pile for our horses the free range chickens come running.  We have a pen next to it with another group of chickens and they can't wait for me to throw some fresh worms into the pen for them.  The rooster runs over and makes that lttle chucking noise to let the hens know there is something good to eat.