LOVE this post. Always hear that chickens will eat anything so it's very very interesting to hear about the exceptions to the rule!

They certainly know how to make a statement.

It really was surprising. Jen, you're reminding me to post about the OTHER stuff chickens won't eat--or rather, will eat but shouldn't, for one reason or another.

My neighbor gave me several cans of wingless grasshoppers she bought for her turtles. The turtles turned up their noses, but boy, the chickens go crazy for the grasshoppers! They do look pretty creepy though.

Hi, Tina! It's true--chickens sure are handy when it comes to disposing of pests. They'll even eat our maggot-infested olives, which is the only silver lining in Team Olive's ongoing project to banish the bugs and harvest from our trees. At least we have plump, happy, maggot-gulping chickens.

If you give young chickens certain weeds/flowers/insects as a "treat" before they're let out to roam they will search for that "treat" when they're let out later. It works!

Great tip, Laura. We'll keep it in mind. They'd gorge themselves silly under our olive trees--the ground beneath is carpeted with maggoty olives!

I notice you've replaced the straw on the coop floor with bark nuggets. How does that work out with cleaning? Do you add more bark? Rake up the dirty stuff and replace it?