Eating Insects?

[critterlover]

Well I guess I don't have to worry about a spider or two in the coop or run

Geez and I was worried about the girls maybe being bit by something, when in fact it sounds like everything else had better get out of their way!

 

[JennsPeeps]

I agree with all the others: chickens love a live meal.

Mine have eaten worms, centipedes, beetles, ladybugs, spiders, potato bugs, earwigs, cutworms, moths, moth cocoons, and probably lots more. One time a resident hummingbird came down to check out my RIR, who watched the hummer. I could see the dim little light bulb turn on: "dat's a moth!" Suddenly the RIR gave chase. Luckily, hummingbirds are fast.

ETA: This is also why it cracks me up to see eggs in the grocery store that are advertised as "100% vegetarian fed". Chickens don't WANT to be vegetarians!!!

 

[gritsar]

Bugs, spiders, lizards, frogs, and mice. My chickens have eaten all that and much more. They stalked a raven once, but he was too fast for them.
When they were about 10 weeks old they found a box turtle in the yard. Eighteen beaks went to work on that unlucky turtle's shell, but they couldn't get him to expose a body part they could get ahold of.
I finally ended up feeling sorry for the turtle and saved him from the chicken's attention.
Little raptors is all they are.

 

[mechagrue]

Quote:
I always smile at that, too. I mean, I know what they're trying to say is "We don't grind up dead chickens and feed them to our live hens." But all I can think is, "Bugs are not a vegetable."

I'm pretty sure chickens would eat US, if they had the opportunity. Gritstar is 100% right in another way - chickens are the modern descendants of raptor dinosaurs.