Huge grasshopper outbreak! Chicken ninja skills honed.

[turney31]

 

[darkmatter]

My chickens are in the run, but the Guineas fly out and do bug patrol all day. I got them originally to combat Ticks----since then there has been a lack of ground dwelling yellow jackets, the large ant mounds, and any other grasshopper, cricket, etc. I leave my property and see lots of insects around. The guineas haven't eaten the garden squash bugs however. So.....bring on the grasshoppers, if it gets bad, I'll let the chickens out to free range while I supervise for predation. I have read about locust plague in the 1800's where the locusts would eat the garden down to stubs and leave onions in the ground hollowed out to the paper skin while the chickens ate so much they would go into a food coma, then wake up and repeat. I believe those locust plagues were of the "Rocky Mountain Locust" which are suppose to be extinct now.