What are they finding?

[bawkbawkbawk]

Like all hens, mine love their foraging time in our chicken yard, which is composed mainly of dirt and fallen oak leaves.

But the last three weeks or so they are extremely purposeful in their pecking about rather than just the random passing the time.

What could they be finding? We have ants in the house. Could it be that? Ticks? Is there some kind of seasonal hatch in coastal central/Southern California this time of year? Btw I provide them grit and oyster shell so I don’t think this is for digestive purposes.

 

[townchicks]

I dunno. I often wonder what mine are eating when they scratch and peck and I can't see a thing there. Their eye site is supposed to be pretty good, so it's likely better than mine!

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Acorns?????

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

Acorns would be a good guess a few weeks from now when they will start raining down from the trees.

But not yet. Whatever they are finding is small enough that we cannot discern it.

 

[blackdog043]

They're moving the leaves and scratching the dirt for insects.

 

[micstrachan]

Not sure, but we have lots of caterpillars falling from our walnut tree right now. Could it be something like that?

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

I think (although I am old and my eyes are worsening all the time) that I would see a caterpillar when they bring it up in their beaks.

This is something minuscule. But they are intense about whatever it is! Hopefully they are ridding us of some kind of pestilence.