My chicken only eat a certain type of worm! Only earthworms, not compost worms...

[the3chickens]

Hi.
Not sure is this is the right place to post, but its related to chicken behaviour.

So, my 3 pullets enjoy digging up earthworms in my garden, and when I'm outside doing some gardening and digging, they happily eat any worms that I dug up, and even run around, chasing each other for the largest worm!
However, a few days ago I got a form farm with tiger and dendrobeana worms. One of the reasons was to be able to provide treats for the chickens, but the funny thing is - the chickens don't eat them!

Yes - they can distinguish between an earthworm and another worm!

Even I cannot straight away tell the difference. I know chickens have great sight, but the worms are so similar is size and colourising, even the tiger worms aren't as stripy as I thought they would be.

I wave around an earthworm - chickens run and gulp it down.
Wave around a dendra/tiger worm - chickens either look at it but don't eat it, or peck it once, then leave it on the ground, and just watch it wriggle, and sometimes even act as they are scared of it!

I've heard that chickens can either love or dislike worms, but I've never heard of chickens distinguishing the worms!
Maybe its the taste that puts them off? Any ideas?

Thank you!

 

[the3chickens]

Note:
I understand that earthworms and other worms can have "parasites" and I am aware that I should only give worms occasionally, as a treat.
However I believe that chickens will be chickens, and you can't stop them from digging up a few worms in the garden - but in my garden there aren't many worms, so this is why I give them extra worms.
Also, I plan on worming my chickens every 6 months, they've already been wormed (I think), and they are strong chickens so (if) the worms do happen to have parasites or something of the sort, I'm sure they will be able to fight them off.

Anyways, I hope someone can help.

Thank you.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know why they see them as different but I suggest patience. That's usually the best solution to things like this. I'll share an experience that might help.

A few years ago I gathered a pretty good sized cup of corn ear worms when preparing the corn from my garden for canning. I dumped those caterpillars near a bunch of free ranging 10 week old chicks. The bravest of those chicks would slowly approach those worms, carefully and cautiously creeping closer and closer. Then suddenly, one of those worms would wiggle. Run away! Run away! Quick! Quick!!!!

Then they would very carefully start to approach again. A wiggle! Run away! Run away!

This repeated several times. Finally one got close enough and grabbed a caterpillar. Within just a few seconds that pile of caterpillars was gone.

 

[the3chickens]

I don't know why they see them as different but I suggest patience. That's usually the best solution to things like this. I'll share an experience that might help.

A few years ago I gathered a pretty good sized cup of corn ear worms when preparing the corn from my garden for canning. I dumped those caterpillars near a bunch of free ranging 10 week old chicks. The bravest of those chicks would slowly approach those worms, carefully and cautiously creeping closer and closer. Then suddenly, one of those worms would wiggle. Run away! Run away! Quick! Quick!!!!

Then they would very carefully start to approach again. A wiggle! Run away! Run away!

This repeated several times. Finally one got close enough and grabbed a caterpillar. Within just a few seconds that pile of caterpillars was gone.

Thanks!
I still can't understand why they eat earthworms but not the other worms
To be honest, I do find it fascinating - I'm sure chickens are smarter than we think!
It's strange though - even when one of the chickens begin to peck on it, they soon drop it and just stare at it - all three of them, gather round and just stare. They peck it a few times but soon loose interest and walk away. But with the earthworms - they are eaten it one gulp!

Thanks so much for your reply.

 

[sourland]

It may very well be a factor of 'newness'.

 

[the3chickens]

It may very well be a factor of 'newness'.

Thanks for the reply.
So they eat the earthworms but they are new to the tiger and dendra worms so they don't eat that?

 

[Ridgerunner]

It could be taste. Sounds strange but what have they been living in that might impart a flavor? I assume they are alive? It may be a matter of changing what they are living in.

Is there a big size difference? I don't know why that would make a difference, mine would just peck them into bite sized pieces.

It sounds like you are across the pond from me when I looked those up. I'm not familiar with them but it sounds like they are sold more for fishing bait but I don't know what could be the difference.

Chickens can be picky. Many people on here give their chickens cabbage as a treat. When I give excess cabbage or cabbage leaves from my garden to mine they will eat it if they have nothing else. But mine would prefer broccoli or cauliflower leaves or even kale or chard. They are all different.

 

[the3chickens]

Hi.

Thanks for the reply.

I also though about the size but they gobble up massive earthworms with now problem, I think I might have mentioned it in the start of thread.
Tigers and dendrobeanas work very well together, they are commonly used as compost worms but I have indeed heard they are good for bait and reptiles.
At the moment the worms are living in compost, some things in the compost are: pea pods, banana skins, tea bags, apple cores...

I did just wash a worm and feed it to Sparkle (my white pullet) and she gobbled it up, I'm not sure if it was because I washed it or if she just didn't see it wasn't an earthworm.