night crawlers

[kentucky jay]

i know chickens eat worms , but will they eat night crawlers ? i have been planning a nightcrawler box for fishing bait , could i feed my flock nightcrawlers??? i only have 9 chickens .....2 are silkies ...

 

[woodmort]

Night crawlers are fine if your birds will eat them--some of mine were afraid of them for a while. Now they fight over them.

The only problem I see with earthworms is where they are collected--this goes back to my day of keeping tropical fish. If you are collecting them from areas where pesticides and herbicides are used those chemicals are going into your birds. As long as the collection is made from nontreated areas, earthworms of any size are fine fare.

 

[Schroeder]

My Dad tells the story of how he observed a hen having some kind of seizure. He caught her and found a night crawler half way down her throat. She couldn't get it down or back out. He simply pulled it out of her throat and she walked away with just her pride wounded a bit.

 

[kentucky jay]

wow ...didnt think about them choking on a nightcrawler .........now i gotta rethink my plan !!!!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

It just takes them a few trys to learn how to eat them efficiently, when they start getting all wiggly.

 

[Organics North]

Study up on Gape worm, which is a parasite that can be carried by earth worms..

Make an informed decision..

Me, sometimes they get worms from the worm bin but not to often..

Mine get plenty of earth worms free ranging in season.

ON

 

[patman75]

I have seen them gobble up night crawlers out the compost pile. They love them.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Earthworms & Nightcrawlers can carry Gape & roundworm eggs. The chickens love them, but make sure you worm your birds at least twice a year. (Worm your birds with wormer, not worms)

 

[kentucky jay]

do you think that store bought nightcrawlers would have gape and roundworm eggs ????? if i come up with another expense for these chickens my wife is gonna flip out !!!! lol

 

[darkmatter]

My chickens eat the nightcrawlers, on a morning after a night rain, the worms are everywhere, the chickens ignore the scratch and run for the worm hunt and tug-o-wars fun when I let them out in the morning.