Stop me if this is too chicken crazy

[redinator]

Dogs have heartworm prevention, chickens will be getting fowl pox vaccine. This was an educational and informative morning. Thanks everyone! If I come up with a good bug stir-fry recipe I'll let you all know.

 

[ViggoRoo]

I read an interesting article about leaving branches on the ground so beneficial insects can feed off of them. How convenient for me! I've been dragging downed pecan branches into the next door lot where we keep a couple of mini pigs (rescues). My chickens are free range (yeah, even in town! The neighbors don't mind and my own animals (dogs and feral cat colony) don't bother them at all. Yes, I have plenty of room for all, and we are CLEAN. Anyway, maybe make an insect friendly spot and let the chickens hunt and peck their own snacks.

 

[DavidT1954]

I live in southern Louisiana and we get all sorts of bugs, but most are out at night when the chicken are asleep. I'm trying to think of ways to attract and trap bugs to give to the chickens. Any suggestions? And are there any I want to avoid? The most plentiful are mosquitoes (practically all year) and termites (for a few weeks in early spring) moths, and flies. Should I feed them live or drown them to avoid infestations . .?

I catch hundreds of Japanese beetles a day in one of those pheromone baited bag traps. Chickens love em

 

[Schreib69]

I've read that people put up bug zappers. I don't know how well they work.

Good thought about mosquitoes/heartworm!

they work great and are relatively cheap.
They have accumulation boxes and you can just dump them out, dead, for your chickens. GOOD idea. I have one, and might do that this year.

 

[redinator]

I read an interesting article about leaving branches on the ground so beneficial insects can feed off of them. How convenient for me! I've been dragging downed pecan branches into the next door lot where we keep a couple of mini pigs (rescues). My chickens are free range (yeah, even in town! The neighbors don't mind and my own animals (dogs and feral cat colony) don't bother them at all. Yes, I have plenty of room for all, and we are CLEAN. Anyway, maybe make an insect friendly spot and let the chickens hunt and peck their own snacks.

So stop picking up yard debris, lol. Okay, you don't have to tell me twice to do less work.

 

[redinator]

I catch hundreds of Japanese beetles a day in one of those pheromone baited bag traps. Chickens love em

Could you share a link? I'm intrigued. I usually see the electric zappers, but this is the first I'm hearing of the pheromone trap.

 

[Edenwood]

I live in southern Louisiana and we get all sorts of bugs, but most are out at night when the chicken are asleep. I'm trying to think of ways to attract and trap bugs to give to the chickens. Any suggestions? And are there any I want to avoid? The most plentiful are mosquitoes (practically all year) and termites (for a few weeks in early spring) moths, and flies. Should I feed them live or drown them to avoid infestations . .?

My neighbor has lots of chickens. To collect bug treets, he leaves a long metal container filled half with water under one of the barn lights at night. It catches plenty, especially June bugs, their favorites. Simple and very effective.

 

[RcoM]

I live in southern Louisiana and we get all sorts of bugs, but most are out at night when the chicken are asleep. I'm trying to think of ways to attract and trap bugs to give to the chickens. Any suggestions? And are there any I want to avoid? The most plentiful are mosquitoes (practically all year) and termites (for a few weeks in early spring) moths, and flies. Should I feed them live or drown them to avoid infestations . .?

I use a bug zapper with black light to attract and it wind funnels them into a catch tray. In the morning I simply unscrew and tip the contents in to them. Mostly moths but they gobble them up.