Anyone Else Feed Live Crawfish/Crawdads?

[Schwartzfarmnc]

Our girls have the absolute best place to live as they listen to 2 bumbling creeks while they do their chicken business. Both creeks have abundent amounts of crawfish/crawdads so we have been catching them and throwing them into the chicken run, I never have laughed so hard in all my life seeing them sprint for those things then chase each other all around making all sorts of grunting noises and calls. We catch the really small to medium ones and it takes them less than a few seconds to dismantle them and they are ready for more, I've caught 3 good sized minnows also and they slipped down just like spaghetti! Anyone else feed their birds live crawfish/crawdads?

 

[Medicine Man]

Aside from the potential for parasites, it's a wonderfully nutritious food for them.

 

[wildcat chix]

You should try throwing in fresh-cleaned catfish carcasses.
Even more fun to watch than crickets LOL

Wish I had pics of that

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

My birdies love mud bugs! But I must confess I boil them up before I give them to the chickens

I noticed what looked like little worms on them when we were pulling them from the minnow trap, so I boil them to get rid of those nasty little things. They love minnows too. I have a big 5 gallon waterer and I put the minnows in the water tray so the live for a while. They have a ball trying to catch them!

 

[LottieDa]

What a brilliant idea! My chickens will have to give that a try!

 

[Schwartzfarmnc]

Quote:
bobbing for minnows! Brilliant!

I've not noticed anything on the crawdads, ours creek comes right from the top of the mountain, and I use it's water to fill the waterer each day it's nice and cold, hopefully they won't be hurt by eating the fresh little buggers!

 

[abejita]

You need to eat those crawfish yourself!!

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
X2... my birds can have the left overs.. we get the crawdads first!

 

[Schwartzfarmnc]

Quote:
X2... my birds can have the left overs.. we get the crawdads first!

I would but the wife will not go for it, she had a bad experience in Louisiana years ago with them

Also, it would not be nearly as fun to watch the rugby games that occur in the run

 

[LegginMF12]

Yummmmm! Lucky chickens! I love crawdads but now live in the desert so don't get any anymore. Good protein source for the chickens.