Will they eat a leech?

[Tigertrea]

I found a leech in my yard yesterday while doing doggie cleaning duties. I considered tossing it in to the chickens but, was unsure it they would eat it or the leech would attach to one of them.

Anyone with experience with this? (it was a huge leech btw....a good 6" long and 3/4" in width!)

 

[kreagerm]

A leech in your yard? And of that size? I would first be grossed out then I would have to kill it to make sure it didn't attach to anything, Yuck!!

I thought leeches live in water?

 

[Thassa]

Are you sure it wasn't a slug?

 

[Tigertrea]

Yeah, it is not the first I've seen on land. I live in a low lying area of the Great Lakes Basin (I'm actually on the Detroit river) and the water table is 6-12" below the surface. I have crawfish in my garden even! It was very rainy and the water table is high right now. I think they attach to the deer or coyotes out near the river then hitch up inland a bit...it is only 2000' from the river to the house. When I found one a bit further back earlier in the year I didn't know what it was. I too a pic and searched for a similar image. It was definitely a leech. I was kind of surprised to see this one so far from the river though.