Eating dustbath materials

[ChaosMom]

If they're all active and healthy I wouldn't worry about it. Dust bath substrate always vanishes quickly even if they're not picking at it, as they'll get up with it caked in their feathers and then shake it off all over the place, effectively emptying the spot of whatever material was in it.

I hadn’t thought of the dust bath material leaving via their feathers, but that makes sense. It’s amazing how much dirt they load up in their feathers!

(The Buff Orp is Very Into dust/dirt baths

 

[redinator]

I have offered them the dried meal worms and larvae. They refuse to eat them. They love live insects. Perhaps I can find a store that sells live insects for them.

Mine were the same way until I hid them in the bedding and they had to work for them. Also mealworms are high in fat, or so I was told, so use them sparingly as treats or to get them to cooperate when you need them to go in a coop/run and they're being stubborn.

 

[ChaosMom]

Mine were the same way until I hid them in the bedding and they had to work for them. Also mealworms are high in fat, or so I was told, so use them sparingly as treats or to get them to cooperate when you need them to go in a coop/run and they're being stubborn.

If you do deep litter in your run, tossing them around helps promote the chickens digging and fluffing up the litter.

I’ve had some mealworms and maggots - excuse me, soldier fly larvae - that have smelled a bit over-baked to me, and they were ignored at first. But I did see the girls digging them up and eating them in subsequent days.

If you have the stomach for it, I’m sure they’d prefer live.

 

[redinator]

If you do deep litter in your run, tossing them around helps promote the chickens digging and fluffing up the litter.

I’ve had some mealworms and maggots - excuse me, soldier fly larvae - that have smelled a bit over-baked to me, and they were ignored at first. But I did see the girls digging them up and eating them in subsequent days.

If you have the stomach for it, I’m sure they’d prefer live.

I have enough trouble handling the dried ones, lol. Oddly enough I tossed a few worms in the run I dug up from gardening and they ran from them. I left them to figure it out for themselves. My poor brooder babies are wimps (like their mother ), lol.

Edited for typos

 

[Ext 918]

I add sand to my dust bath, and they like the larger pieces as grit. It's not the best grit. I have some granite, as well, but they seem to like the sand. The dirt also has grit and occasionally bugs. They often dig with their beaks, without eating, though it sometimes can be hard to tell.

Wood ash is one thing I add that they don't tend to eat directly, but they get some in what they do eat, I'm sure. It's better than the chemicals I used to use for external parasites.

These get redistributed over everything much more than eaten.

I also have supervised free ranging and homegrown live meal worms and bsfl. They will eat dried, but much prefer live.

I had a sick bird gorge on sand before, but she recovered. She had a digestive issue and probably wasn't absorbing one or more nutrients well at the time.

I hadn't thought to use wood ash. They seem to actually like the volcanic ash, but i may add some sand when I refresh it.

 

[Ext 918]

Mine were the same way until I hid them in the bedding and they had to work for them. Also mealworms are high in fat, or so I was told, so use them sparingly as treats or to get them to cooperate when you need them to go in a coop/run and they're being stubborn.

They need no coercing. I think they're part dog. No fear of anything and they want to be involved in everything you do when you walk in the coop. I have one that gets jealous and will just bite my leg, gently, if I ignore her too long.

 

[Ext 918]

I absolutely cannot stomach the thought of handling the live mealworms. Earthworms are no problem....but larvae and the other worms are a no go for me. Luckily, my Husband offered to do it for me.

 

[redinator]

I absolutely cannot stomach the thought of handling the live mealworms. Earthworms are no problem....but larvae and the other worms are a no go for me. Luckily, my Husband offered to do it for me.

He's a keeper then. lol

 

[redinator]

They need no coercing. I think they're part dog. No fear of anything and they want to be involved in everything you do when you walk in the coop. I have one that gets jealous and will just bite my leg, gently, if I ignore her too long.

It's funny you say that. I was just watching my dog (I have two, but only one hangs out with the chicks) earlier today as I was tossing out treats to the chicks. They usually hesitate with anything new, but if my dog starts gobbling it down they tuck in too.