Topic of the Week - Feeding mealworms, bugs etc.

[EggMan207]

Just got chicks and ducks for the first time the other day. I've instructed the kids that their job tomorrow is to go around the house and deposit a chick onto the floor near anywhere they find ants. Regular black ants, no red ants.

Be careful of spreading salmonella throughout your house. All chicks carry it. It might not be the best idea let them have access to common areas of the house.

 

[BonnieFierce]

We had a large chicken run beside our barn, when I was a kid. Right beside the run was an old rusted out vehicle with bushes and small trees growing all around and through the floorboards and wind shield opening(windshield was long gone). It was like an old milk van. Anyway, A man came to remove it and this was a big event for us kids, I don't know why. He hooked it up and began to move it. It hadn't moved far when mice began to scamper out, A lot of mice. Being kids, we instantly started chasing them. I don't know what we would have done if we had caught one, get a rabies shot I guess. Trying to get to safety, they all headed for the barn, but to get there they had to cross the chicken run. We were all shocked at how quickly those hens dispatched and consumed the mice. It was like feeding time at jurassic park. They were fighting over them and ripping them to pieces. Some were swallowed whole. We (the kids) thought it was the coolest thing we had ever seen. Our mom, however, was horrified and would not eat eggs that weren't from the grocery store after that. That was the day I became fascinated with chickens. These are not just birds... They are my own little private flock of feathered DINOSAURS.

 

[Sapphire Jan]

Our girls are free range sunrise to sunset on 2.5 acres with fields on three sides. I have bird feeders and the girls eat anything that the yard birds spill onto the ground. I will occasionally toss them some dried mealworms as well as seedless grapes (their favorite!) and kitchen scraps. I love knowing they are keeping the bug population low, especially ticks, but hate that this includes praying mantises. We don't have nearly as many now that we have chickens.
I try to give chicken scraps to the cats, but this is hard to do when the hens are around. They will chase off the cats for the meat. I was horrified the first time I saw this!

 

[BlueHorse17]

Great read! I was thinking of trying to raise my own mealworms for my flocks.

 

[mamablair]

My little flock enjoy dried meal worms, leftover bait worms and whatever they find while foraging around the yard, usually crickets and grasshoppers.

 

[3KillerBs]

My sister raises Dubia roaches for her pet reptiles and gave me a small, non-self-sustaining colony of feeders, which she replenishes at need.

The chickens LOVE them -- swarming me the moment they see me pick up the container.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Do you thaw it out 1st then give it to them raw?

Have not heard about this food.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Bug Catchers good morning one and all!

84 partly cloudy 82 % humidity feels like 91 with rain off and on.

Have a great day!

 

[Ladies-Eight]

I use a bucket with a bunch of holes drilled in it and a metal grate inside. Scrap meat goes in on the grate and maggots come out of the holes. Our chickens love em!

That sounds like a fantastic idea.

 

[Batter]

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Chickens are omnivorous and when given the chance, will happily devour a surprising assortment of bugs and small animals. I've seen mine eat frogs, small snakes, mice… Most of us prefer to be a bit less adventurous when meeting our flocks' craving for meat and stick to providing things like mealworms, crickets, roaches, etc. This week I would like to hear your thoughts and practices on feeding "live" treats. What do you offer your flocks, what can you feed them safely, etc?

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Hi, try raising mealworms but was unsuccessful. They died, molds. I used cornmeal and oats. Bran wheat was too expensive.