My girl just ate a scary looking centipede!

[MissRaychel91]

Is it dangerous for chickens to eat centipedes? I thought they were deadly? This was a red one, looked pretty scary but she just kept going at it like it was the most delicious thing, and now She keeps scratching at her beak

 

[Sequel]

Is it dangerous for chickens to eat centipedes? I thought they were deadly? This was a red one, looked pretty scary but she just kept going at it like it was the most delicious thing, and now She keeps scratching at her beak

Mine have eaten red millipedes or centipedes or whatever they are and they are fine. I hope yours is too! Is she still scratching at her beak?

 

[MissRaychel91]

Mine have eaten red millipedes or centipedes or whatever they are and they are fine. I hope yours is too! Is she still scratching at her beak?

I just freaked out, she's fine now. Just wanted to see if any one else's chickens have eatin them and survived lol

 

[SueT]

I have seen my chickens avoid certain creatures, such as wasps and bees. There are plants they won't eat. They seem to know what is okay to eat. I have seen them eat mice, snakes, and many kinds of bugs and plants, without incident. They are out free ranging, and I certainly don't see most of what they are consuming.

 

[TwoCrows]

We have centipedes that are about 6 inches long, 1/2 inch wide, they sting you if they get on you, just disgusting crawly things. However the chickens feel that these things are a delicacy not to be ignored! Gosh, the chases that ensue when one of them catches one of these things, its creepy when the chickens all rush you with one of these squirming pedes in their beaks!! AND whats really nasty is they swallow the entire thing whole, still alive with all those stinging legs!! My flock LIVES for these things to crawl out of the walls.

Perfectly safe to eat!

 

[Chickassan]

Centis are fine, and so are some millis. I think the black millis are the nasty ones, but chickens won't eat them i'm guessing they're awful.

 

[MissRaychel91]

Centis are fine, and so are some millis. I think the black millis are the nasty ones, but chickens won't eat them i'm guessing they're awful.

Oh yeah! I know which ones your talking about, at first they pecked at them a little bit but they always leave em..
Thanks everybody!

 

[Bunny19852]

My hen ate one 4 days ago. She was fine that evening but the next day I thought she was gonna die. Luckily my friend loves avian animals and so per his advice I fed her via a straw evaporated milk from a can and water going back and forth between the two till she was full. She is not 100% recovered but she is alive and chatty again and she is trying to hunt despite having the inability to see well due to lack of depth perception from the toxins. This was a common black Maui centipede and was 3 inches so only half grown. I hope this never happens again but she is wierd and tends to go nuts over bugs i find questionable all the time.