Cockroach Trap: Catch and Feed.

[dmanger]

Cockroaches are opportunists and chicken coops provide everything a roach could wish for (Shelter, food, water). Although chickens love to eat them, roaches are nocturnal so the two rarely cross paths and populations can easily grow. Being a great source of protein, it only makes sense to collect them for the chickens, rather than destroy them with no gains. In my shed where I store the chicken feed, I keep a tall jar. On the jar, I rub cooking oil on the inside rim and throw in some chicken feed. In the night, the roaches get stuck in the jar after feeding and I'll have 10-20 chicken-feed stuffed roaches for my chickens each
morning. Just be sure you don't use pesticides around your home since they're going to your birds.
American Cockroaches are 65% protein and packed with vitamin A and C.
They're not indigenous to America and nymphs take 6-12 months to mature and once adults, they'll live another year.
I've only been doing this for a short while so I'm excited to see if/when my cockroach population will collapse.

 

[CrazyTalk]

The American Cockroach is not indigenous to America? That's surprising... wouldn't be the first incorrectly named animal though.

 

[Tamara119]

Good idea! I live where there are lots of earwigs, and the chickens love them. They, too, are nocturnal, so I was thinking I'd make some pitfall traps and collect 'em up! I like the idea of oil on the inside of the jar rim, I'll try that.

 

[Thickasabrick]

I used your idea for my compost bin, 4 ft high and 8 ft across and round, buried a half gallon jar so the rim is level with the top of the (covered) pile. After the first twelve hours got about thirty of the little fellows. The next day after 24 more hours got about twice that number. The first batch I just dumped into the pen and they scattered before the chickens knew what was happening. The second time I sprinkled a few at a time....they expected them and gobbled them all down. Going to be part of the garden now to harvest free food for the flock. Thank you.