Earwigs, millipedes, centipedes, hobo/garden/cat spiders

[Newbie2]

Are these on the chickens' diet? I'm looking into a non-chemical way to clear our yard, garden and just plain DIRT of these hideous creatures. I'd like to have a couple small-type hens that lay brown eggs.....Any suggestions?

 

[Spangled]

Yes, my chickens eat all that stuff ... well, I know they eat spiders ... just not which kind.

What do you mean by small hen? As in bantams which are about 1/3 the size of a standard hen? Bantams also lay tiny eggs.

Discussion standard-sized hens:
My better foragers (bug eaters and dirt scratchers) have been New Hampshires, Delawares, Barred Plymouth Rocks, Speckled Sussex, Buckeyes, and Naked Necks. (all brown egg layers)

My not so great foragers have been Bantam Cochins, Bantam Silkies, Bantam d'Uccles, Black Copper Marans.

Other folks will agree and disagree with me. We all have our favorites and opinions and experiences. Also, some of it depends on the strain of the breed you end up with.

There are also hybrid layers called things like Sexlinks (boy are one color and girls are another color), Golden Comets, Black Stars, Cinnamon Queens, and things like that. They'll eat bugs just fine also and will wander around scratch and looking for them.

 

[aart]

Are these on the chickens' diet? I'm looking into a non-chemical way to clear our yard, garden and just plain DIRT of these hideous creatures. I'd like to have a couple small-type hens that lay brown eggs.....Any suggestions?

Do you realize how 'dirty' chickens are?? They poop ALOT!

.....and you have to protect them from predators, build them a secure (from predators) shelter to live in at night, and you still have to feed them.

 

[Spangled]

Replying to comment in the "Ovation" section:

Newbie2 quote
"You answered my question! lol I was actually going with bantam/banties! re-thinking that one now!"


Reply:
I certainly don't want to discourage you from bantams if that is what you would prefer.

There are good bantam foragers, I just haven't ended up with those bantam breeds.

If you want plenty of eggs, just ask around here at BackyardChickens.com to find out which bantam breeds enjoy foraging and also lay plenty of brown eggs. They will be small eggs, though.

Probably a new thread should be started.

 

[donrae]

I think game hens would fit your needs well. They're smaller, scrappy little things that are wonderful at foraging. They're also pretty wily about evading predators. Not the greatest layers in the world, but a few would keep you in a decent amount of eggs.

Something to keep in mind, though, is chickens and landscaping don't mix well. Chickens get those critters by scratching the ground, and they love to dig up mulch, flower beds, etc. They also love to eat tender young plants. Not sure what your set-up is, but that's something to keep in mind.

 

[Newbie2]

That's definitely something to consider! And I love little Cornish hens too!