Earthworms

[Honey_Silvas]

My little chickens are about 4 months old (Bantam D'uccles), they found their first earthworm today. One of them got it pulled out of the ground after about 5 tries and then the chase was on. I had 23 chickens chasing one poor chicken all over. I don't know how he did it, but he finally managed to gulp the worm down before they could take it from him. It's funny, I had just offered them meal worms and they looked at them like the things were going to jump up and attack them. It took me 5 minutes of coaxing to get them to start trying them.

 

[grawg]

The really big worms make great tug-o-war ropes for my ducks. Sure it's all over in 5 seconds, and the only obvious loser is the worm, but still great entertainment.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I wouldn't worry too much about them eating a lot of worms. It's a good food for them.

When chickens are young, they don't know that worms are a food. My young ones always need to learn to eat worms and other foods.

They do seem attracted to little things that move, though. The bigger worms can be more intimidating. Sometimes they look disturbed after they eat their first good sized live worm and it's writhing inside their crop.

Mine all eventually get used to the oddness of it all and are enthusiastic about all kinds of worms, larvae and insects. They spend many hours a day scratching through the leaf litter here, foraging. They'll stand out in a light rain, grabbing worms that come to the surface. When they look up at you, their beaks are all covered in mud!

 

[kinsey228]

If it is on the ground and moves, my girls will eat it

They LOVE worms, bugs, anything. They keep my garden completely bug free

 

[Johnboy78]

All summer mine ignored worms.
Now that the yummies they scratch after are harder to find
they grab for worms when they see them.
It will be interesting to see if they lose their taste for worms next summer
when the foraging is plentiful again.

 

[CountryChick561]

Mine love worms. Thats how I make friends with my shy chickens. I find worms and i run to the yard to give them to the girls. I love how to roosters are such gentlemen and pick up the worm and drop it and give to food call so a little hen can have the worm.

 

[onafixedincome]

Grrr....!

Don't get me started on worms and chickens...the @%@#%!!! birds absolutely DESTROYED my worm beds in the last year or so. I raise redworms under my rabbits to dispose of the manure and have to keep the population up to minimize odor and the ground worked properly, and those *insert expletive here* chickens just decimated 'em and ruined the drainage and pathways at the same time.

So no more free range chickens! They'll live in the coop (it's 8x16x7 high--poor babies! *snort* NOT) and like it, with occasional supervised excursions.

Obviously, they looooove worms. *slitty eyed look while I think of fried chicken and fricassee*

What they WON'T eat is snails and slugs, the lazy girls! They tried them and didn't like the slimy, wrap-around-the-beak thing, as shown by running frantically to the roo to have him TAKE IT OFF, GET IT OFF ME, PLEEEZE!!!. He didn't wanna touch it either. Guys!

If my wormbeds recover this next summer, I'll be harvesting worms to dry or freeze for winter use as a protein supplement.

Along with the mealworms, which are really doing remarkably well and are actually a lot of fun all on their own. LOL!

 

[kotnes]

i actually do dig worms for our girls. And they love them. Can they have too much worms? She are laying eggs now.