Can a chicken eat too many worms?

[saysfaa]

At what point should I intervene so the hens don't eat too many earthworms?

My hens are two years old. Until this week, they have never been out of their coop/run combo. I think they are legal but only due to a loophole in very hostile zoning. Likely, the zoning people would not agree it is a loophole or would close it if they knew about it.

Recently, the people of the zoning board changed and are much more friendly about chickens.

I've taken the hens to the garden with me for several hours every day for five of the last six days. Like 4+ hours each time; or sometimes 2 or 3 hours each twice a day. They eat worms nearly nonstop. I'm turning the soil with a shovel and breaking it up with my hands to get the weeds out and prepare seedbeds. It is rich soil with lots of organic matter, so that is a LOT of worms.

They also eat any grub they see (not many) and at least one will pick out ant eggs/larva. They all eat a little grass and dandelions but not much. And whatever they find under the piles of maple leaves. There isn't much else in the garden to eat, this early in the season.

I thought they would gorge for a time then slow down as their bodies told them what to eat. At least, I hoped that.

I tried taking them into the field behind our yard, hoping they would forage on more variety. They would not stay in the rougher vegetation, even with persuasion.

Edit to fix grammar

 

[Callender Girl]

I will be interested in seeing replies. My hens all like eating earthworms, but one of them seemingly can't get enough and will devour each and every worm available.

BTW, congrats on a chicken-friendlier zoning board! And, on spending time in the garden with your girls!

 

[Lillith37]

I don’t see why it would be an issue with the exception that earthworms and other bugs including ants and flies can be vectors of parasites. My two girls who go the most nuts over insects have both had tapeworm infection. Tapeworm has an indirect lifecycle and so requires the chicken to eat the intermediary host (the bug) in order to get infected.

 

[saysfaa]

Thank you, this is the kind of info I'm looking for.

I wasn't willing to risk those parasites when the chickens weren't going out. So I gave them japanese beetles, grasshoppers, squash bugs, asparagus bugs, and such but never worms or slugs.

Now, I figure if they are out at all, they will eat at least some even if I don't turn the soil when they are out. So, I'm just taking that risk.

 

[Lillith37]

It’s a fairly reasonable risk to take. If your birds lose condition or have crop troubles I would suggest worming them, given this new risk.

 

[Perris]

Mine tend to eat anything that moves that they uncover while foraging. They prefer to forage in leaf litter where beetles and other insects tend to congregate, than in open pasture where the worms are more common. There is a risk of picking up a parasite or egg, but the upside to foraging outweighs that downside in my experience. And they will develop resistance to things they encounter, e.g. coccidia.

 

[saysfaa]

Mine tend to eat anything that moves that they uncover while foraging. They prefer to forage in leaf litter where beetles and other insects tend to congregate, than in open pasture where the worms are more common. There is a risk of picking up a parasite or egg, but the upside to foraging outweighs that downside in my experience. And they will develop resistance to things they encounter, e.g. coccidia.

So yours don't eat many worms. But at what point do you think should I get concerned?

Other than parasites.

I'm way outside my comfort zone. It just seems unlikely a single source is balanced enough to be eaten in these quantities for very long without risks.

I have a bit of woods here but it is right next to the road. It is also quite similar where the hens wouldn't stay...but less volunteer plants. The people who built this house filled it with flowers. It has a lot of raspberries too.

 

[saysfaa]

Maybe they are that nutritionally balanced.

Fat is 5 - 20% dry matter basis, amino acids are a good mix - for eisenia foetida. I'm not sure what species these worms are but it is probably close enough.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Your chickens can get parasites with access to the dirt even if they never ate an earthworm in their life. I would only say it would be a problem if you were going out and buying tubs and tubs of night crawlers to feed to them. Ranging birds can eat whatever bugs/worms they find and it is perfectly healthy for them. Mine have access to my 40x60 garden and 30 acres of field (also berries, an orchard and another larger garden far out in the field). They eat bugs and worms from sun up to sun down. If I’m in the garden mine too eat whatever I dig up. When we till up the garden with the tractor in the spring you should see mine. They wait on the side for the tractor to finish then they rush in eating up every worm in sight. One thing to note is that when chickens free range they do not eat nearly as much vegetation as they do bugs. I am outside quite a bit, many days for 5+ hours and from my observation a chicken free ranging will eat 90-95% bugs vs maybe 5-10% vegetation. Also it depends on what vegetation your property offers. Not all vegetation is created equal and not everything is palatable to chickens even if it is technically safe for them to eat. I feed 20% Flock Raiser and my chickens free range on my 30 acres all day long. I have had no health issues other than the occasional bumble and no deficiencies. My birds are all a healthy weight when I weigh them, bright eyed, shiny feathered and very active. For ratio reference I am currently at 10 chickens and 10 ducks so 20 birds on 30 acres of field…It is an all you can eat buffet of bugs.

 

[Perris]

But at what point do you think should I get concerned?

Other than parasites.

I'm way outside my comfort zone

you've had some great advice above. Perhaps also you want to read this
https://ellicesblog.wordpress.com/2018/01/25/leave-your-plants-alone/
and apply it to chickens as well as at least a little bit of your garden.
Don't worry. Enjoy watching them foraging