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At the Wind River Bug Ranch, we offer a variety of nutritious insects that make excellent treats for backyard chickens. While your flock will happily enjoy almost any bug, some insects stand out for their exceptional nutritional value. Here’s a closer look at the best choices for your happy flappers.
Mealworms have been a favorite treat for backyard chickens for years. Rich in protein and healthy fats, they are loved by nearly every insect-eating animal. They’re also one of the easiest feeder insects to raise at home, making them a great choice for DIY enthusiasts.
Despite their name, mealworms are not actually worms—they are the larval stage of the darkling beetle. The beetles themselves, along with the intermediate pupal stage, are also excellent treats and contain even more protein than the larvae.
One important consideration is that mealworms are naturally low in calcium. Always provide your laying hens with a quality calcium supplement, such as oyster shell, to support strong eggshell production.
Never use wheat bran as bedding or feed for mealworms. Wheat bran contains phytic acid, which binds to calcium and other minerals, reducing their availability to your chickens. Instead, use a nutritionally balanced substrate designed for feeder insects to maximize the nutritional value of your mealworms.
Black Soldier Fly Larvae have quickly become one of the most popular chicken treats available—and for good reason.
They are packed with protein, healthy fats, and naturally high levels of calcium. BSFL also contain lauric acid, a beneficial fatty acid that has been shown to support immune health and help chickens better resist disease.
The pupal stage of the Black Soldier Fly is even richer in nutrients than the larvae. Thanks to their high fat content, BSFL are especially valuable during the winter months, when chickens need extra calories to stay warm.
If you’re looking for entertainment as well as nutrition, crickets are hard to beat.
While mealworms and BSFL wiggle enticingly, crickets crawl, hop, scamper, and leap around the coop, triggering your chickens’ natural hunting instincts. Watching your flock chase them is as enjoyable for you as it is enriching for them.
Crickets are high in protein but lower in fat than mealworms or BSFL, making them an excellent summertime treat. Although they tend to be more expensive, they’re well worth offering occasionally to bring out the inner dinosaur in your birds.
Dubia roaches have become the gold standard feeder insect among reptile keepers, though they’re less common as chicken treats.
Because they grow more slowly and cost more to produce than many other feeder insects, they’re generally a premium option. However, Wind River Bug Ranch occasionally offers retired breeders and excess adult males at discounted prices.
Dubias provide excellent protein, moderate fat levels, and a respectable amount of calcium. Their large size and juicy texture make them an irresistible snack for chickens.
Superworms are essentially giant relatives of the common mealworm, growing up to two inches long and weighing roughly five times as much.
While they offer plenty of protein, they also contain more fat and even less calcium than standard mealworms.
Although chickens certainly enjoy superworms, smaller mealworms encourage more natural pecking and foraging behavior. Because birds can hunt a larger number of insects, mealworms generally provide greater enrichment and longer-lasting entertainment.
Nature provides some of the healthiest insects your chickens can eat. Grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, ants, and many other wild insects are excellent additions to your flock’s diet.
Unfortunately, wild insects are only abundant during the warmer months and are often scarce in typical backyard environments.
Take advantage of wild insects whenever they’re available—but when nature comes up short, count on Wind River Bug Ranch to keep your flock supplied with healthy, nutritious feeder insects all year long.
