Do chickens eat earwigs??

[VkyVky]

I started a garden and the earwigs are ridiculous! I have chicks coming in June, so I am hoping when they get old enough they will eat the earwigs. Maybe next year the garden will fair better

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Mine love earwigs.

 

[VkyVky]

Good! There is hope for a garden! I looked up a lot about earwigs and earwig control, but didn't find info about if chickens would eat them. THANKS!

 

[foux003]

Earwigs, Maggots, Meal worms and grubs. all free and fresh protein for chickens. I just fed mine a ton of worms.

 

[gryeyes]

Earwigs are like running candy bites for chickens. They love 'em!

And they're good for chickens, too - like many bugs, they have niacin in 'em.

Pull up something, make a nest of earwigs scatter, and watch the chickens come running!! Om nom nom!

 

[VkyVky]

Ha ha! Great! I knew they liked bugs in general, but not earwigs specifically. The little pinchers on the tail give me the willies.

 

[DelcoChix]

I agree..although not all of my girls liked them, the majority enjoyed the thrill of the chase and the crunchy reward....but, as a side note of caution...they also enjoy some greens with their crunchy protein treat so you might want (well, you will HAVE) to fence the garden off from the hens or they will help themselves to whatever you are growing...only in their henly attempt to maintain a well rounded diet of course

 

[VkyVky]

Thanks for the garden advice! Won't have to think about it 'til next year, I guess. What makes it past the earwigs this season will be harvested by the time the chicks are ready to forage in our backyard.

 

[DelcoChix]

Not a problem, just speaking from experience...I gave up on my garden last year as my girls were so eager to 'assist' when I'd dig in the dirt, and they loved to help me pick tomatoes...but that silly lack of an opposable thumb meant they had to carry the fruit in the beaks, then they 'accidentally' peirce the red tomato skin...well, then they'd have to eat half of it...and then go back and try to 'help' again...and again...had a lot of tomatoes hanging on the vine but semi-consumed...and green beans...and so on. Got the fence ready to put up this spring, just debating whether to fence them in or fence the raised garden beds in, not sure which is going to involve less work and fence! And yet they really enjoy helping when I pull the shovel out---worms are their favorite..

 

[Pet Duck Boy]

There aren't many insects that can escape the chickens. Like bees and wasps, mine don't eat them, but they always seem to kill them, toss them around, and get bord and leave. Practicing bug hunting skills? lol