Cicadas

[Bridgetwelte]

Hi, I am in PA and we are getting a lot of cicadas. I heard that chickens love to eat them. I just want to make sure that its OK for my chickens to eat them. Thanks!

 

[Chickassan]

Yes, you could eat them if you wanted. Perfectly safe.

 

[Bridgetwelte]

LOL.. I'll pass and let my chickens have all the fun thank you!!

 

[Chickassan]

Your loss lol! You can just enjoy watching them chow down. Have fun.

LOL.. I'll pass and let my chickens have all the fun thank you!!

 

[OhZark Biddies]

A recipe for chicken people... chickens like them un-chocolated

Chocolate Covered Cicadas

Source: "CICADA-LICIOUS: Cooking and Enjoying Periodical Cicadas"

Ingredients:
8 squares of good-quality dark, white, or milk chocolate
30 dry roasted cicadas

Directions:
1. Roast teneral cicadas for 15 minutes at 225F.
2. Melt chocolate in a double-boiler over low heat. Dip insects in chocolate, place on wax paper and refrigerate until hardened.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Cicadas don't have any poisons or any natural defense mechanisms that could harm your chickens. All they can do when disturbed is scream. You should be careful with that, they can scream loud enough to injure your ears if you hold one too close to your head (some people try to listen to the clicking noises they make and then get an unpleasant surprise), but they aren't toxic or sharp or anything.

 

[chkva]

I wonder if there is a way that you can trap them... I read that someone keeps out those beetle bags and collect tons of beetles then freezes them for their chickens as treats.

 

[Chickassan]

A recipe for chicken people... chickens like them un-chocolated

Chocolate Covered Cicadas

Source: "CICADA-LICIOUS: Cooking and Enjoying Periodical Cicadas"

Ingredients:
8 squares of good-quality dark, white, or milk chocolate
30 dry roasted cicadas

Directions:
1. Roast teneral cicadas for 15 minutes at 225F.
2. Melt chocolate in a double-boiler over low heat. Dip insects in chocolate, place on wax paper and refrigerate until hardened.

Oh Halloween might be a little chirpy this year! Dip them freeze them put them in little festive bags when the time comes heck yeah!
Gave out cricket pops last year, they were a hit. Grosser the better for kids apparently.

I wonder if there is a way that you can trap them... I read that someone keeps out those beetle bags and collect tons of beetles then freezes them for their chickens as treats.

You either pick them off tree trunks during the day or hang a white sheet between trees at night with a light source shining close to the sheet. They'll come to the ligbt and land on the sheet. Pick them off and wa la!

 

[Fishkeeper]

They'd make great chicken treats, but I'd only gather them now and then. Best not to trap non-invasive insects constantly, their populations are under enough strain already.