tomato hornworms

[alw018]

Is it safe for ducks to eat tomato hornworms that have been eating tomato leaves? I often read about people feeding such hornworms to chickens.

 

[Isadora]

I have fed my ducks tomato hornworms, but only a couple at a time. Due to the hornworm's diet, it's not something I would want to give my ducks a lot of, but I don't think the occasional hornworm will do any harm.

 

[BReeder!]

Is it safe for ducks to eat tomato hornworms that have been eating tomato leaves? I often read about people feeding such hornworms to chickens.

I do hear a lot of people feed them to chickens and ducks. Ducks particularly enjoy worms, slugs, snails, caterpillars, etc. However, I just read this which can be concerning:

You may have seen it in your backyard, crawling on your tomato plants. It's a hornworm! ... Wild hornworms collect and store the toxin in the plants they feed on (tomatoes and tobacco) which makes them toxic if they are ingested by your pet.Aug 7, 2019

https://vetmed.illinois.edu › wel › cr...

 

[cheezenkwackers]

I have fed wild ones from my tomato plants to little leopard geckos and my ducks with no ill effects. It was only one or two at a time when I found them n my plants but still.