worms!

[fallenweeble]

so, it's happening. i'm becoming obsessed with chickens. ya'll were right.
i visited an awesome couple in my area yesterday who keep silkies and got to see their set up and their incredible chickens (silkies) and such and i was fascinated and thrilled by it all. during my visit i got to feed the chickens some lovely worms (oh yum) and the chickens ate these like they were truffles! i'd love some feed back on the best places to get snack worms (what are they called again?).
oh, p.s. when i left their place a beautiful buff rooster came with me.
like i said, the obsession has begun!!!!
f. weeble

 

[WoodlandWoman]

If they were meal worms, you can get those at the pet store. If they were red worms, you can get those at a bait store. You can also order either online. You can culture either at home, although I've only raised the red worms.

 

[picklespickles]

i love your name.

you can also get them sometimes at walmart or places like that in the sporting section. they like crickets, too. if you don't get any of those in your yard naturally you can get them at a pet store, too. it's like a dollar for twenty.

 

[halo]

I order a lot of meal worms, as I feed them to the warblers, wrens, and bluebirds during the winter. I get them at http://www.reptilefood.com/reptilefood/. I guess chickies like them too, that should be fun!

 

[devora]

Are mealworms the same ones folks use to compost table scraps? I used to do that but didn't know what kind of worm.

 

[AK-Bird-brain]

Nope meal worms are about 1 inch long and tanish. compost worms Eisenia fetida (commonly called red worms or red wigglers) are pink to red and can get up to about 5 inches stretched out. The hens turn into a school of sharks when I throw out one of these big wigglers.

 

[SandraChick]

I get my worms for free from my compost. The chickens also love to scratch through any dirt I turn over during my gardening escapades!!!!

Sandra

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Oh, I bet they have a great time scratching and digging along with you! What's more fun than that for a chicken?

I never worry about giving them bugs in the warm months of the year, because they get so many on their own. I mostly think about buying or culturing in the winter, when there's nothing but snow drifts out there. The girls are just spoiled. I know it.

 

[SillyChick]

You can also find worms in aquarium shops! They're very inexpensive. I bought some and gave to my chicks, and they were like digging on my hand!