Safe worms for chickens to eat?

[waghmg]

Trying to figure out what I can get my sick hen to eat to get some protein in her, tried eggs, etc.

I've seen where earthworms are not good for them.

Can they eat any of the other live bait you might get at a bait/tackle shop. I know mealy worms are ok but she won't eat the dry ones any more. What about red worms?

Any info would be much appreciated.

 

[mstricer]

Where did you hear that? My girls love earthworms, when spring comes and it rains alot, they are in heaven. I stir my compost so they can eat them, all fight to get to them.

 

[waghmg]

I've seen it on this site that earthworms can carry the parasite for gapeworms.

I'm a little 'paranoid' but I have to say that my chickens that I've had for a year and also love earthworms and do some free ranging have not had them. That must be true of you, too.

Guess I'm a little afraid they might not be good since she's already sick. But beginning to think... what do I have to lose. She losing weight and I want to find something that excites her. They're all in my compost.

Any thoughts on earthworms or any kind of worms to feed chickens is appreciated.

 

[Kara515]

Where did you hear that? My girls love earthworms, when spring comes and it rains alot, they are in heaven. I stir my compost so they can eat them, all fight to get to them.

I am no expert!!! But if you look up Gapeworm, it will show that earthworms, along with others, are part of their life cycle. This may be why they say that earthworms are not good for chickens to eat. Unfortunately, it also included the house fly, the green bottle fly, snails and slugs!! So....I don't really see how you could ever let a chicken be a chicken and them not be at some risk. It just may be a small risk depending on other circumstances. If you have adult turkeys, they are carriers of Gapeworms, lots of starlings, crows, robins and jays in your area may add to the amount of risk, etc. I figure that since I have never had Gapeworm in my chickens, I probably don't have too much of an infestation in the soil to worry about? I will let my chickens be chickens but I won't find the worms for them, I will let them find them for themselves. That may cut down on my risk?

 

[Kara515]

Trying to figure out what I can get my sick hen to eat to get some protein in her, tried eggs, etc.

I've seen where earthworms are not good for them.

Can they eat any of the other live bait you might get at a bait/tackle shop. I know mealy worms are ok but she won't eat the dry ones any more. What about red worms?

Any info would be much appreciated.

I would suggest Romaine lettuce! Here is some info about it:
1 – Protein. Believe it or not, romaine lettuce is 17% protein with 7.7 grams per head. It is also a complete protein! That means that it has all 8 essential amino acids, 9% RDA of some and up to 26% RDA of others.
2 – Calcium. One head of romaine has 206mg of calcium (about 21% RDA). Blend it with calcium rich fruits like papaya and oranges and you’ll get more calcium than a glass of milk!
3 – Omega-3s. One head of romaine lettuce contains 44% RDA of Omega-3 essential fats. Forget the tainted fish oils, reach for some leafy greens instead!
4 – More Vitamin C Than An Orange. One head of romaine contains 167% RDA of vitamin C while an average sized orange contains only 92%.
5 – Iron. One head of romaine contains 6mg of iron, which ads a significant source of iron to the diets of vegetarians and vegans.
6 – Romaine Lettuce is Rich in B-vitamins: Thiamine (B1) – 38% RDA, Riboflavin (B2) – 32% RDA, Niacin (B3) – 12% RDA, Pantothenic Acid (B5) – 18%, Pyridoxine (B6) – 36 %, Folate (B9) – 213%!
7 – Water. One head of romaine provides 16% of your daily water needs with about 20 ounces of water per head!
8 – Rich Source of vitamin A (as beta-carotene) and K. As with most leafy greens, romaine is super rich in beta-carotene with 1817% RDA per head and has 535% RDA of vitamin K.
9 – Low Levels of Oxalic Acid. If you have problems with calcium oxalate kidney stones, romaine lettuce might be a good choice for leafy greens since it is very low in this anti-nutrient.
10 – Mineral-Rich. Don’t let the lighter color of romaine lettuce fool you. This not-so-dark leafy green is rich in minerals. One head contains copper (33% RDA), magnesium (22% RDA), manganese (42% RDA), phosphorus (27% RDA), potassium (33%), selenium (5% RDA) and zinc (13% RDA).

I buy a head and tie it upside down for my girls and they go crazy over it!

 

[mstricer]

I am no expert!!!  But if you look up Gapeworm, it will show that earthworms, along with others, are part of their life cycle.  This may be why they say that earthworms are not good for chickens to eat.  Unfortunately, it also included the house fly, the green bottle fly, snails and slugs!!  So....I don't really see how you could ever let a chicken be a chicken and them not be at some risk.  It just may be a small risk depending on other circumstances.  If you have adult turkeys, they are carriers of Gapeworms, lots of starlings, crows, robins and jays in your area may add to the amount of risk, etc.  I figure that since I have never had Gapeworm in my chickens, I probably don't have too much of an infestation in the soil to worry about?  I will let my chickens be chickens but I won't find the worms for them, I will let them find them for themselves.  That may cut down on my risk? 

I don't buy worms for my chickens, but seriously how do you stop them from eating them.

 

[Kara515]

I don't buy worms for my chickens, but seriously how do you stop them from eating them.

That's why I said I guess I will just let my chickens be chickens! LOL I just won't go out of my way to dig up worms FOR them. That way, they have to do the work and maybe that will cut down on how many they get!

 

[rdehorney]

Try medium sized mealworms. I just got 5 chickens and fed them some organincally raised mealworms and they loved it like candy. Also gave them some spent grain (byproduct of beer making) and they loved that as well. good luck with nursing your chicken back to health.

 

[mtnchicken]

Here is a weird one, i just got done chasing my chicken around. She ate a fake worm! I have no idea how a orange rubber worm ended up in my back yard, but before i could catch her she gulped the entire thing down! Will this harm her?

 

[lazy gardener]

Was it a gummy worm? I do hope it wasn't a fishing lure. Either way, there's not much you can do about it at this point, other than to keep an eye on her.