17 year cicadas

[TheChicInnKeeper]

We are due for a "17 year cicada" event this spring.

I am wondering.......... if we have enormous amounts of dead cicadas (they die after laying their eggs) - do you think we could bag 'em up and freeze them for future chicken protein? If there are as many as predicted we might be able to shovel them up.........

Just thinkin' about my chicks...

Cyndi

 

[nccountrygirl]

Out 17 yr cycle was last yr. The girls loved those big ole bugs. My Dh would chase them down and give them to the girls and a free for all was on. I don't know about freezing them though.

 

[S0rcy]

Considering the last time I saw pics of a 17year cicada fest, you will be lucky if you have enough space in your freezer for all you could bag up! I would say go for it!

 

[BearSwampChick]

We had our cicada "event" 4 years ago. We're surrounded by woods and when you were outside, you couldn't hear yourself think. Then when they all died, it stank for weeks. Yuck! We may get a little spin-off from the Cincinnati area this year. There's a tribe (for lack of a better word) hatching out down there. I hope the girls get a chance to catch some of those bad boys!

 

[TheChicInnKeeper]

There is a great website I found while researching them:

www.cicadamania.com

It shows a map where the main events will be - by county in the states.

I sure hope they don't stink!!!!!

 

[Zenbirder]

We had a small cicada outbreak last year, the chickens just love them. I would catch them in the trees by the dozens to feed. I put about 8 dozen in the freezer for a mid-winter treat. They went crazy over them! Mine went in alive though, not dead, so not sure about dead ones.

 

[nccountrygirl]

Even though we had them last yr the map still shows NC getting them again this yr. I hope so the chickens love them.

 

[Tutter]

We had them last year, and yet, have already had some this year, too. I'll have to check that map out!

As for the hens......they like them quite well!