Topic of the Week - Feeding mealworms, bugs etc.

[TLCMidMichigan]

I feed mealworms on the ground outside of the coop. Their gone in a heart beat anyway.

 

[meepANDpeep]

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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 you all's thoughts and practices on feeding "live" treats. What do you offer your flocks, what can you feed them safely, etc?


For a complete list of our Topic of the Week threads, see here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

I feed mine black soldier fly larvae, though usually of the dried variety. When I put them out to pasture, though, I happily watch them eat all kinds of grubs they come across.

 

[papajoesfarm]

Our Wyandotte flock gets meal worms in the late Morning, around 1000 hrs, and then live Black Soldier Fly grubs that we raise specifically for our chicken flocks, in the afternoon. The young Barred Rocks are OK with them, but they always get excited when I bring them fresh weeds we have pulled from the vegetable rows. I expect that focus to change as they mature, being only 11 weeks old. But for now, their "salad bar" is a big hit.

But what everyone loves are the frogs. We have a fish pond ajacent to the runs, and every morning there is a race to the pond end to see what unfortunate frogs have wandered into the run at night. It's a common sight to see a large Wyandotte hen running by with small legs sticking out of her beak, with her sisters in hot pursuit. Sometimes there is a tug of war, with the unlucky frog getting torn into pieces.

Whats amazing is that we still hear frogs in the evening. The Koi love frogs, too, and will eat every one they can catch.

 

[Sally PB]

This time of year, I catch all the Japanese Beetles I can. One of my hens in particular loves them, and the chicks found out how good they are yesterday.

I am on a mission to eradicate the things! Yeah, I know I won't succeed, but I can try!

 

[CreveChris]

Have videos of earthworm-eating Marge, and witnessed slug and Pumpkin caterpillar snackers, but I raise lab-quality silkworms for my flock to eat and they gobble them up.

 

[SimTam]

Any dramas with the girls eating poisonous spiders?

My place is over run with redbacks (black widow like spider). They've certainly had a few already, as well as some huge Huntsmans

They seem to know how to handle them, no problems

 

[Winxee]

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Pic by @aoxa
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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 you all's thoughts and practices on feeding "live" treats. What do you offer your flocks, what can you feed them safely, etc?


For a complete list of our Topic of the Week threads, see here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

I have started a bug farm. My fluff butts love superworms, mealworms, waxworms, and crickets. I'm breeding my own. Since waxworms are super fatty, they get those sparingly. They will be good if ever I have a broody chicken. I put them in a bowl and we all head to the "treat chair." They go crazy for them. My roo is the only one allowed to put his head in the bowl and take a bug. He's such a gentleman that that's pretty much the only way he can get some for himself as he let's the hens eat first. My bugs are raised on an organic diet.

 

[CoolHandJack]

Mine will consume almost all insect fare, with exception of insects that have red on them. Insects with red here typically use compounds they collect from milkweed to keep predators at bay.

May through June in some years I have placed a light near roost of young game chickens. Night flying insects (May Beetles mostly) then come into range where chickens can pick them off from their roost. Some nights allow for very rapid crop fill. This seasonal and not well suited for feeding more than a few birds at a time.

When working on beehives some of the chickens follow me and wait for me to drop burr comb. They consume the drone brood very well. I also have been throwing scratch at base of beehive to encourage chickens inspecting area for insects. Hope is to use that as a measure for controlling hive beetles in and just before the pupal stage.

At work I have a lot of ponds and a river nearby where mayflies (burrowing mostly) emerge in mass. Chickens really like those.

Recently I have begun exploring the use of mass harvested Japanese Beetles as eats. The beetles do not keep well outside of a freezer so working on ways to increase their density and dry them so they can be kept year round. Below is an ongoing thread working on the procedure.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/making-feed-from-japanese-beetles.1223688/

How has this worked controlling your small hive beetles?

 

[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]

I put some cinder blocks out in the run and every few weeks I'll turn them over and the chooks go crazy for the bugs, it's pretty funny to watch

I've also seen my dad feed them *still living) mice that have been caught in the trap. That was pretty gross, but the chickens were thrilled

I have some stumps in the run.

Every once and a while I turn them over and they're full of bugs larva.

They go wild for them.

I like providing my flock with dried crickets for a nice treat.

I buy crickets from the bait store for my chickens.

They love them

They will chase them.