Rose Chafer Bugs fed to Chicks 🐥

[Chicklady707]

I am very new to chickens and have 17 chicks that will be 3 weeks old on Monday, June 22, 2020. I was by my parents’ house and the kids and I saw all these bugs flying around some bushes. We collected them including some grasshoppers and fed them to the chicks. We must have had about 30-50 rose chafer bugs. The chickens loved them but then I looked up the bugs to find out what they were and it says they are poisonous to birds including chickens specifically. . Has anyone else had chicks who ate these?

Now I am worried I hurt my chicks when I was just trying to give them a treat (and some free entertainment for us). I hope they will be okay. I was doing so good with those chicks. I never even had one case of pasty butt. I sure wish I would have researched before feeding them the rose chafers. We were so excited that we just fed them as soon as we got home .

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

Did they all eat around they same amount? If they all at the same number of bugs then they each would’ve eaten 1-3. Are they being fed a complete diet?

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

I’m looking and those don’t appear to be rose chafer bugs. Rose Chafer bugs look very similar to Japanese Beetles, so a shiny green ish with short legs and a hard shell.

 

[Chicklady707]

Did they all eat around they same amount? If they all at the same number of bugs then they each would’ve eaten 1-3. Are they being fed a complete diet?

Yes, they are being fed Purina Start & Grow Crumbles. I am not sure if all were eating the rose chafers. Some chicks were pigging out more than others. I have also been starting to give treats of thawed frozen peas, grass clippings, dandelions, and a chunk of sod. I have been giving chick grit sprinkled on the sod and food.

N

 

[Chicklady707]

I’m looking and those don’t appear to be rose chafer bugs. Rose Chafer bugs look very similar to Japanese Beetles, so a shiny green ish with short legs and a hard shell.

You must be looking at the European one. . The picture is of the North American Rose Chafer.

 

[SBFChickenGirl]

I have found that chickens won't eat it if it's bad for them. Our birds won't touch boxelder bugs and misc. plants. I'm sure that they've got some sort of instinct that keeps them from eating stuff that they shouldn't.

 

[Chicklady707]

I have found that chickens won't eat it if it's bad for them. Our birds won't touch boxelder bugs and misc. plants. I'm sure that they've got some sort of instinct that keeps them from eating stuff that they shouldn't.

I did some more research and it stated 3 week old chicks needed to eat about 25-30 for the rose chafer to be fatal. I don’t think any of my chicks ate that many.

 

[SBFChickenGirl]

I did some more research and it stated 3 week old chicks needed to eat about 25-30 for the rose chafer to be fatal. I don’t think any of my chicks ate that many.

Just keep an eye on them and don't beat yourself up too much about it. You live and you learn.

 

[Chicklady707]

Update: All 17 chicks are running around their coop and seem to be okay after eating the North American Rose Chafers. The only thing I noticed was 2 blotches of bright red blood on the pine shaving bedding in their coop.

 

[Tonyroo]

Try to avoid giving chicks beetles in general there not able to break down the winged shell casing of the bug. It might tear there intestinal tract. I start my chicks on flightless fruit flies and they love it, I figure it will get them use to eatting bugs in the yard as they get older.