Only one hen?

[ScottyChic]

Hi - Thank You for that piece of information - I've never heard of this before.

Of course, we do not dig up the garden/land on a regular basis to seek out fat, juicy worms - but the hens co crackers for them.

We also get 'slow worms' here - they look like small snakes. They are a little wary of them - but they are harmless creatures.

Knowing that I live in Scotland - does the worm thing still apply? - The creatures we have here may be slightly different than the ones you have - that is not meant to sound silly.

Do you know where I'm coming from? (Scottish term)

 

[Judy]

There are all sorts of things they like to eat. For example, apples are indeed a bit expensive -- but they are perfectly happy with the cores and peelings. Same with the rind left on a melon, etc. I usually keep black oil sunflower seeds (BOSS) -- not really expensive as I don't give them that many, only a handful some days. Ceacked corn or scratch feed is cheap and they love it, but it's not very nutritious, so I don't like to give much, which means I only buy small bags, again, not that economical. Mealworms are a good protein source.

Most table scraps and many veggie trimmings are often favorites.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-treat-chart-the-best-treats-for-backyard-chickens

 

[momofthehouse]

Thanks for the link!

 

[GuppyTJ]

ScottyChic,

I would assume the earthworms in Scotland are also carriers of the same parasites as those in the U.S. but you may have to do some more research to verify. I don't know what "slow worms" are exactly. My chickens readily eat baby snakes when they can find them. These baby snakes are maybe 4 or so inches long. The chickens gobble it up when they find one. Chickens tend to be wary of most new foods at first. And they are more fond of some bugs/foods than others. Each chicken is also different in what foods it prefers to eat. For example, my chickens don't eat lady bugs or furry caterpillars. But they love spiders, grasshoppers, non-furry caterpillars, ticks, crickets. Some of these bugs are intermediary hosts for different types of worms, of course, but it's natural and as long as they're finding them themselves, I don't worry about it and I just worm them when they need it.

Guppy