Red worms: good idea for treats, or not?

[Stumpfarmer]

My compost bin has turned into a red worm box, and I have pounds of the things. How many can I give to my not-quite-5 month old BLRWs, and should I wash or purge them first (that is, put them in a clean box with newspaper and cooked vegetables, as one would for feeding fish)?

Thanks!

 

[DancingHen]

My girls like to pick the red worms right out of the compost pile as I turn it! They can't get enough of the things. They will love you for giving them those worms. As to how much you should give...I would start with a big handful (or spadeful) and see how fast or how much they eat. Then you can increase or lessen the amount based on how much they like it. Worms are great protien for chickens. If you ask them they would tell you to give it all to them.

I don't clean the worms my girls eat. You can if it makes you feel safer, but they will be fine either way....unless you have anything really toxic in your compost, like grass or plants treated with pesticides.

 

[Celtic Chick]

If and when chickens scratch up a worm, down it goes! I don't think if you offered them a worm that they would give you the stink eye until you washed it.
Honestly, just throw a hand or shovel-full of them by your birds and watch the show. If they didn't think you were a rock star before, they will after getting some worms.

 

[DancingHen]

Quote:
So true.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Thanks, that's reassuring. I've never raised captive chickens before, and especially never fancy ones; for years we had a thriving flock of tree-sleeping free-breeding nonspecific banties, and I'm having a hard time thinking my gorgeous BLRWs are as tough as those mighty mites were (until the nonnative oppossums and environmentally stressed Great Horned Owls hunted them out over a remarkably short time).