Who says there’s no such thing as a free meal?
Early this morning, sometime just after 1am, I went outside to help @mama-pepper with something. We were up late talking to @truconspiracy who had come down for a visit.
It was late, and I was lazy, so I went out barefoot. There had been a lot of rain yesterday, and we are getting some more right now, so the ground was very wet. As we walked, I stepped on something squishy with my bare foot.
Thankfully, it was not a Pygmy Rattlesnake, which come out some nights in the summer and are a good reason not to head out barefoot. Instead, it was a very large earthworm, which we call nightcrawlers, mostly because they crawl across the ground at night sometimes.
Since nightcrawlers would make a wonderful treat for our chickens and Muscovy ducks, I got to collecting.
They were crawling all over the place, but especially on the sidewalk.
I did find a few in the grass too!
Often, I would have a hand full of new ones to add to the bucket.
By the end of my efforts, I probably had over forty nightcrawlers.
This morning we went out to give our poultry their treats. Here is a video of part of it.
Who doesn't love a pile of worms gif?
It cost me a little sleep and some effort, but the chickens and ducks got themselves a free meal… wait! Come to think of it, except for the greens they peck themselves and the bugs they catch, they really don’t have to work for any of their meals, and they are all free!
Suddenly I feel like the servant of my chickens… for now anyway.
In the end though, I had a lot of fun catching the nightcrawlers and they were a natural, healthy treat for the chickens. Wild things are such a better food source for poultry than GMO feed or ground up dead chickens. Actually, I have a great recipe for worms that I could share here too, but I haven't eaten any worms myself since I was in Junior High School. Maybe it's time to revisit that delicious meal.
here's the proof:As always I'm @papa-pepper and
Until next time…
STEEMIT LIKE YOU MEAN IT!
TANSTAAFL
But the chickens, as they are not reading science fiction novels, do not realize that the meal is not really free.
At least, they will not become
😜
Thanks for the catch!
Yeah it seems science fiction isn't a big genre with chickens. All the ones I know like non-fiction. Oh and romance novels.
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Oh yummy... breakfast is being served.
Mmmmmm.... Breakfast!
I don't care how free that meal is papa-pepper... you can have my portion!
Nope I never want to eat worms, you can have them all :)
I will share...
No its OK you can have my share
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We plan to get some more chickens soon. Will try them with some worms. There's a load of them in our compost bins.
Then you should have enough to share with them! Sounds great and best wishes with the chickens!
good job
Thanks @riostarr!
All meals used to be free. Provided by mother nature.
Than man learned about agriculture, and we have been working for it ever since.
Hey @papa-pepper! Good reading. Thank you!
Thank you?
Whoever said there is no such thing as a free meal never has seen an apple tree.
Yum, apple trees!
Lucky chicken! They got a good caregiver. They are getting feast every time it rains. They must look forward to getting rain everyday :).
They will be now!
Searthworms scare me too!
Lol! Too funny!
Lucky chickens to live with you and be feed so well!
We try to take good care of them!
Greetings brother @papa-pepper
Way to forage for your chickens! When I lived in Michigan, the first warm rain brought up big nightcrawlers like that. It was fun just to go see them all over the sidewalks. It just smelled like worms -- it's the smell of spring to me. I'd gather them for fishing. But your chickens are lucky to have you there to provide for them. Happy chickens! :D
I love to use them for fishing too!
Lucky chickens, they have a caring owner.
Thank you. We try to provide them with a good home.