My chickens won't eat dried mealworms

[Judy With Chickens]

I guess they're just weird. I have 9 birds, age around 10-11 months. I bought a bag of dried mealworms when they were pullets and they would never eat them. Recently I decided to try again and bought some more. Nope, zero interest. My beagle ended up "vacuuming" them up off the ground after the chickens walked away (he'll eat anything.)

They free range most of the time. Of course I've seen them catch and eat bugs, little toads, dead or dismembered mice that the barn cat leaves... but somehow the mealworms just don't seem like food to them.

I don't actually need them to eat mealworms... but... now I have most of a bag of the things left. And I would really rather feed them to the chickens than to the dog. I have tried soaking them, mixing them into oatmeal, putting them in with the feed. I've considered getting some live mealworms so that maybe they would learn that these things are good eating, but if they refuse to eat the live ones, I'll just have to figure out what to do with those too.

Any ideas?

I first tried my chicks on live soldier fly larvae. Now they won't eat red wiggler OR dried soldierfly. I think that had I started with the dried items first, they would get the idea. But no.

 

[TwoCrows]

I first tried my chicks on live soldier fly larvae. Now they won't eat red wiggler OR dried soldierfly. I think that had I started with the dried items first, they would get the idea. But no.

Chicks are afraid of most new foods. Eventually they come around and eat everything that falls to the ground, edible or not.

 

[Judy With Chickens]

I guess they're just weird. I have 9 birds, age around 10-11 months. I bought a bag of dried mealworms when they were pullets and they would never eat them. Recently I decided to try again and bought some more. Nope, zero interest. My beagle ended up "vacuuming" them up off the ground after the chickens walked away (he'll eat anything.)

They free range most of the time. Of course I've seen them catch and eat bugs, little toads, dead or dismembered mice that the barn cat leaves... but somehow the mealworms just don't seem like food to them.

I don't actually need them to eat mealworms... but... now I have most of a bag of the things left. And I would really rather feed them to the chickens than to the dog. I have tried soaking them, mixing them into oatmeal, putting them in with the feed. I've considered getting some live mealworms so that maybe they would learn that these things are good eating, but if they refuse to eat the live ones, I'll just have to figure out what to do with those too.

Any ideas?

I gave my 4 week old chicks a few live soldier fly larvae and they won't go near the dried ones at all. Same with worms. I thought they were just spoiled, but now I see it's "a thing".
They're 14 weeks now, and no change. They won't even eat broccoli sprouts.