Anyone know what kind of critter this is? And...

[m1marin]

Hi everyone,

Today my wife found this big juicy caterpillar munching away at some of our cherry tomatoes. Does anyone know what kind of butterfly this will become? And... if it's the bad kind would chickens like to snack on it?

 

[sourland]

It's a tomato hornworm - they become rather large, not very attractive moths somewhat like a Sphinx moth.

 

[m1marin]

Thanks Sourland. Can it be fed to chickens?

 

[JurassicBawk]

Yes. They will eat them but some of mine don't particularly love them as they have heavy green slime innards. If you see your plant missing leaves and looking twiggy, look for more as there's usually quite a few at a time. The yellow jackets at my house kept them at bay this year feasting on them, and the chickens got the other few that I found.

 

[21hens-incharge]

. Pretty sure mine would turn their beaks up at them.

They will strip your plants bare fast.

 

[lazy gardener]

Yes, THW are best destroyed when ever found, and when you find one, look for more. My birds have a great time with them. They will have a rousing game of chase. The victor will shake the guts out of the worm and run around with the skin like it's a great prize.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

I had read not to feed them to the hens (especially the large ones), Just as you would not feed tomato plant leaves to the hens, because these nasty things eat tomato leaves, they contain the same poisonous toxins as the leaves.

 

[lazy gardener]

True, that. However, if I offer it and they eat it... and look for more, IMO... the birds know better than those "they say" folks. My birds also chow down rhubarb leaves, and we all KNOW how poisonous those are supposed to be. My birds have not yet figured out how to read those warning labels, so eat a lot of stuff that is on the warning list.

 

[m1marin]

Well, we offered it to our hens. They came over, looked at it sideways, and ultimately turned their beaks up at it. Go figure.

But the pest is gone!

 

[FowlPrincess]

My Ducks love them!