Jumping worms...

[Jsaller]

Update: so after digging around this morning I did find one jumping worm. It took me a little bit to find... does one mean an infestation? Still hoping someone out here has more info on if it's safe for chickens to eat them.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Update: so after digging around this morning I did find one jumping worm. It took me a little bit to find... does one mean an infestation? Still hoping someone out here has more info on if it's safe for chickens to eat them.

That's a decision you have to make for yourself. No one can honestly tell you. Its too fact specific - what heavy metals are present on your property in the top inch or so of soil? How many worms do your chicks eat? for how long? Where do those specific metals accumulate in their bodies? Do you eat those parts? How often? What is your expected remaining lifespan, absent some surprise? What is your tolerance for risk?

Heavy Metals are substantially everywhere. Iron is a heavy metal. Its also absolutely necessary for (animal) life. Zinc is also a heavy metal critical to life. Cadmium, Mercury, Lead all much less essential, or not at all.

You can't lump them all together and make an assessment based on scary words - unlike the fear mongering click bait sites you find on the internet.

 

[kicken]

Thanks for the info, my concern is more about heavy metals from ingesting jumping worms not a parasitic problem.

If the worms hatch from eggs laid last year in your garden then you'd think all you'd have to worry about is heavy metals in your own soil. If you have heavy metals in your soil then your chickens eating jumping worms is only one of your problems.