Pullets suddenly don't like worms

[whillergee]

I'm scratching my head over this one - I have four pullets that are about 14 weeks. They happily run around their enclosure all day, and for awhile they'd go nuts over worms I'd help them find. Then one day, they turned up their little beaks at all the fat juicy worms I found for them. Yesterday I even saw one of the ladies (an Easter Egger) following a centipede intently, but made no attempt to move in for the kill. I was going to do some worm composting to raise some protein "on the hoof" for the girls, but now... On the other hand, they just discovered another section of their run that has fresh grass growing in it, and they went completely ape****. Now they've mowed down all the grass in the run! So I'm thinking they must know what they're doing, and they're getting enough protein and need some greenery, but still -- anybody else have fickle chickens?

 

[teach1rusl]

Oh yes...I went through that with the worms when they were younger (and it still happens now that they're grown ladies). One day it's a worm banquet, and the next day "No thank you."

The Japanese beetles have hit our area this past week. Right now, three of my girls think they're delish crunchy croutons...but next week, who knows??? Chickens are quirky little birds

 

[HHandbasket]

Here in northern California, it's June-bug season. I've been catching them in jars at night and feeding them to the pullets in the morning. They love 'em.

I bought my girls mealworms today for the first time... that was a fun event to watch! The girls also love tofu & I give them some every day. They eat it straight from my hands!