Topic of the Week - Feeding mealworms, bugs etc.

[centrarchid]

Rain, rain, go away, come back some other day.

When it comes to the nutritional value of insect dominated forages that are not limiting, I can not match it with any formulated feeds I can buy for my chickens. The formulated feeds are a much cheaper second best that come into their own when predators make supporting birds on free-range impractical.

 

[LovelyChicks130]

Mine steal what the cats catch. Mice, chipmunks, etc. I almost feel bad for the cats but it's too funny.

 

[GC-Raptor]

chickens visiting the neighbors (they destroyed their garden and pooped on their welcome mat)

Yeah, I used to let them free range up to 4 hours before sunset. One day my neighbor text me saying my hens were in her yard. That's when I cut it back to 1 hour. So far so good for over a month. GC

 

[quackingdom]

I'm not the squeamish type. If they want to eat it, let them eat it (unless it's something that I know is dangerous, which has never happened). Our dog killed a mouse recently and was mauling it, but not eating it. I scooped it up and threw it in front of one of our ducks. She pounced on it and ate it whole.

They've also eaten live lizards and frogs. I remember once hearing an odd crying sound, and I went outside to find out what it was. Meg was dashing around the yard, dodging ducks right and left, with a train of ducks following her, hoping to steal her prize: there was a live frog in her mouth, with all four legs stuck out like sticks and mouth wide open, screaming. It almost sounded like a kitten or maybe even a baby crying. It was gross, but kind of hilarious.

I tried raising mealworms and superworms, but I started with way too few and the geckos ate them. I'll try again at some point. When I get larger livestock like goats and horses, I hope to try raising earthworms with the manure.

Sometimes, when I have time, I'll turn up old boards and other objects around the yard for them so they can can catch whatever bugs and worms are underneath. One girl, Cola, has caught onto this game so well that she comes running if she even thinks I'm going to pick up a piece of plywood or concrete block. If I find a cricket, I sometimes catch it and give it to one of the ducks.

They sure love their meat!

 

[featherhead007]

It's a crazy free 4 all when I treat my flock to meal worms, I usually end up covered with chickens! on my lap, on my head, beaks in the bag, etc.

 

[Sussex19]

I think that they are great for the chickens, but I don’t make a habit of eating them!

Are you sure you don't want a locust pie?

 

[EIEIO Funny Farm]

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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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Oh yes, besides catching grasshoppers for them - when I let them out of their run to free range they race past me and get on the back porch so they can finish the cat food that was left behind

I’m not sure if its intentionally left by my cat as a trade off for sleeping in their temporary nesting box. Had to set this up for one of my hens struggling in this horrible heatwave. So now I have a broody cat

 

[Rocky86]

I breed mealworms and fruit flies for a house full of reptiles, and I feed them out 3-4x per week. It’s nice having all the different sizes because I offerred them to even week old chicks to boost them when they were not eating well. It’s to entertaining also! Lol it’s hilarious dropping in 100s of fruit flies and watching them run around like crazy.

They don’t eat the dry ones as well so I crush them up and mix them in with their food, tiny bit of scratch and make mush for a treat. They love the frozen cubes in this heat.

 

[Sally PB]

I also "harvest" Japanese Beetles. This year, I'm freezing some for winter treats. If I'm digging in the garden, I have a container nearby to collect any grubs I dig up. Free chicken food, pest management. Win-win.

The chickens all know what it means when I say, "Bug snack!"

 

[RobG7aChattTN]

I raise mealworms as treats and use some of the wasted starter feed from the brooders (by the feeder it’s almost pure with no shavings). In summer most of that brooder waste goes into large plastic pots (like the kind used for plants). It has drainage and I water it well. Black Soldier Flies find it and fill the pots with larvae June until fall/early winter. I can harvest lots and lots larvae for the penned birds but most go to the free range birds that get into them.