Tomato Caterpillars. Treats?

[bzbrown]

I discovered 5 of these big horrible things on my maters this evening. I bribed my son and his friend to remove them, and take them off the property lol. Could we have just tossed them in to the chicken run? I have given them left over bait worms from fishing, and they love catching crickets and such, but I wasn't sure if Tomato Caterpillars were safe....

 

[Ridgerunner]

The tomato horned worms are safe for the chickens if they will eat them. I tried feeding one today and the chickens refused to eat it. Just too big and strange, I guess. If one had gotten brave, then they would all have wanted one.

 

[bzbrown]

Thanks! When I find more, and I'm sure I will I'll only make the kids pluck them and toss them in the run, instead of leaving the property lol..

 

[buckabucka]

Mine eat them, but those horn-worms are so nasty that I can't watch!

 

[Tracydr]

The best chicken delicacy, ever!

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Mine like 'em!

 

[emvickrey]

Most of mine do too. They are pretty "juicy".

We had some Buff Orphs last year and everytime they saw us at the tomato plants they would walk all over each other to be the closest one to their run that would catch what we tossed their way. It was like candy and kids.

 

[debid]

Oh yes, chicken treat! My kids love finding the gigantic hornworm moths, plucking the wings, and feeding them those also.

 

[chicmom]

Wow, I never thought a chicken would want to eat those.......I wonder if they eat the sharp little horn on the rear?

 

[sunnydalefarms]

My birds didn't seem to like them much. They all surrounded and inspected it but only one took a bite. When I left it was still there, don't know if they ever finished it or not.