Where's a good place to buy and what kind of live worms to feed my "girls"?

[Chickenman623]

Title pretty much says it all. With my last batch of hens 14 years ago I noticed my hens digging up a LOT of grub worms. I have this new batch of "girls" in the same area of the yard and don't see anything living for them to dig up. Wondering if buying live worms and scattering them out after the "girls" are put up for the evening would allow them to burrow into the soil......and would that be a good idea? That would be a start to have living critters living in the soil for the "girls" to dig up for digging and eating. If this is a good idea, what kind of worms should I purchase and where are they available?

 

[AidKD]

The only place I can think of would either be Walmart or a bait and tackle store. Or you could dig them up yourself.

 

[Chickenman623]

Back when I was into organic gardening I remember a lot of folks would purchase earthworms by the pound and put them in their gardens to aerate and compost the soil. Just don't remember where they purchased them. My next door neighbor at the time bought a 15# bag of them and his soil was gorgeous.

 

[tlcmurphy]

Believe it or not, you can buy them on Amazon. Search worms for composting

 

[Chickenman623]

Yup.....................but they are so darned expensive there. If they are truly worth that kind of money, I think I'll get into the worm raising business!

 

[tlcmurphy]

Yup.....................but they are so darned expensive there. If they are truly worth that kind of money, I think I'll get into the worm raising business!

Indeed

 

[Chickenberg Goldenegg]

Worms will duplicate under logs that the chickens can't eat under. Just putting decomposing logs and stumps around helps the population.

 

[Chickenman623]

Thanks for that ChickenbergGoldenegg. I'd never heard that...........but easy to do.

 

[KonaHI]

Hi, I'm new here, live in Kona Hawaii and have feral chickens, not quite the same as most of you. We feed them scratch grains twice a day. Current flock is about 7 hens and a rooster. It was close to 40 with multiple roosters about 8 years ago. Not sure why it dropped. Honestly, 40 was too many but 8 is not enough. I think mongooses are eating the eggs so I am planning on building some safe nesting boxes.

I've noticed when I work in the yard and turn over rocks the chickens get very interested and move in quickly on anything wormlike including centipedes. I'm thinking of getting them some superworms (see Amazon) but not sure if it is something they will eat.

Comments?

 

[Loving my girls]

Hi, I'm new here, live in Kona Hawaii and have feral chickens, not quite the same as most of you. We feed them scratch grains twice a day. Current flock is about 7 hens and a rooster. It was close to 40 with multiple roosters about 8 years ago. Not sure why it dropped. Honestly, 40 was too many but 8 is not enough. I think mongooses are eating the eggs so I am planning on building some safe nesting boxes.

I've noticed when I work in the yard and turn over rocks the chickens get very interested and move in quickly on anything wormlike including centipedes. I'm thinking of getting them some superworms (see Amazon) but not sure if it is something they will eat.

Comments?

OMG, do they become at all tame ? Can you tell one from another ? What do they look like ?

Feral hens oh how great is that !