Can chickens eat earthworms?
Yes, chickens can eat earthworms in small amounts. Extension.org says chickens forage for bugs and worms as a treat and that they’re a good source of extra protein. Colorado State University Extension notes that chickens love bugs and worms.
How to serve it: found while foraging in the yard
Good to know: Don’t use insect or rat poison where your hens forage. RSPCA Australia warns that chickens readily eat poisoned rodents and insects.
Kitchen scraps: The rules depend on where you live. US extension services allow small amounts of table scraps, no more than 10 percent of the daily diet (Oklahoma State). In the UK, it’s illegal to feed kitchen scraps to chickens, even pet hens (RSPCA, APHA). In the EU, Germany’s agriculture ministry (BMLEH) says kitchen and food waste must not be fed to laying hens.
Sources
- TVT (German veterinary association for animal welfare) – Leaflet No. 131.3: Chickens (in German)
- Poultry Extension (extension.org) – What Does a Chicken Eat?
- CSU Extension/NRCS – Backyard Chickens (Jennifer Cook, 2011)
- RSPCA Australia – How do I keep my chickens safe in my yard?
- Oklahoma State University Extension – Backyard Flock Production (AFS-8202)
- RSPCA – Keeping chickens as pets: how to care for backyard hens
- APHA (GOV.UK) – APHA warns not to feed kitchen scraps to farm animals because of disease risk (2017)
- BMLEH (German Federal Ministry of Agriculture) – Animal feed: frequently asked questions (kitchen and food waste, in German)
Last checked: November 2026