Hornworms

[Haleys-papaw]

I read in another post that tomato plants were poisionous to chickens, so here is my question. Would the tomato hornworms that I pick off my tomato plants be harmful to chickens since that is what they have been eating.I usually just squash them but they would make a juicy treat if they are safe for them to eat.

 

[Stacykins]

Tomato hornworms are often used as feeder insects for reptiles, and they are expensive little buggers too. Why waste those juicy little morsels? I am sure your chickens would love them!

 

[LeftFootFarm]

Lucky you, if you have these things everywhere. I used to buy them for my Bearded Dragon, but it cost over a dollar a piece, so I couldn't imagine feeding them to my chickens. I am sure they would love them, but I would have to buy 50+ a day. Ouch, but lucky you.

 

[jojo54]

We didn't have any hornworms of our own but my DS was working out at a ranch that had some. He brought them home for the chickens and they were scared of them.

When the hornworm would move the chicken would jump. The girls were quite young then they'd probably get them down because I've seen them playing keep away with a mouse one of them caught. We ended up drowning the worms because they were so big and ugly I did not want one to get away and find them on my tomatoes.