Sunshine and Crickets

[5Australorpasaures]

Chicks are feathering out nicely and I am anxious to get them out in the sunshine for their vitamin D for feather, bone and growth Just a little chilly and windy. Another thing I like to do is lay a good size piece of cardboard on the ground so the crickets congregate underneath. Call the birds flip the cardboard and instant protein feeding frenzy mid summer into fall. I can't take credit for the cardboard trick, chickens taught me that years ago when I needed some fish bait.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

If they're still small, crickets may be bit large for them yet (depends on the size of the chickens and your local crickets), but it's a great idea. Eventually the cardboard will break down, but "more cardboard" is not a hard thing to come across these days!

I have a few lumber scraps and old logs in my run. Every few weeks (in warmer weather) I flip them over and there's usually crickets, pill bugs, worms, etc.

Like you said...free entertainment and protein for the flock!

We bought our house 10 years ago in August. I noticed that first summer that the yard was just INFESTED with crickets. That next spring, we got our first flock of chickens. I let them free range, and they decimated the crickets. I stopped free ranging after that first year (built a much larger run and got sick of them turning my deck into "the poop deck"), but I swear I didn't see another cricket in the yard until maybe the last year or two.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

If they're still small, crickets may be bit large for them yet (depends on the size of the chickens and your local crickets), but it's a great idea. Eventually the cardboard will break down, but "more cardboard" is not a hard thing to come across these days!

I have a few lumber scraps and old logs in my run. Every few weeks (in warmer weather) I flip them over and there's usually crickets, pill bugs, worms, etc.

Like you said...free entertainment and protein for the flock!

We bought our house 10 years ago in August. I noticed that first summer that the yard was just INFESTED with crickets. That next spring, we got our first flock of chickens. I let them free range, and they decimated the crickets. I stopped free ranging after that first year (built a much larger run and got sick of them turning my deck into "the poop deck"), but I swear I didn't see another cricket in the yard until maybe the last year or two.

By the time crickets are available they should be laying. Here they start chirping the end of July and really crank up during the end of August till end of Sept Breeding season. After that they are looking for entry into the house. Old wives tale is bad luck to kill them in your house so I pick 'em up and toss them to the waiting horde.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Good point...not a lot of crickets around in February in most parts.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

Good point...not a lot of crickets around in February in most parts.

Especially in New Jersey. Brrrrr, although we did have Crocus blooming in mid January, crazy times.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Especially in New Jersey. Brrrrr, although we did have Crocus blooming in mid January, crazy times.

Yeah, I'm in RI and the "enough snow to actually stick" we got yesterday is the biggest snowfall we've had all winter. Very weird (non-) winter...