attenbhp Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 My chickens are eating the slow-worms! They've found two this week alone. Both me and the other chickens pursued the offender round the garden in order to prize the hapless repltile from her beak, but as soon as I got close, she swallowed it whole! Thats a good 10 inches long. Equivalent to me swallowing a 5 ft Python! Am I going to have the RSPCA round? Slow worms are protected (and beautiful) (and great at eating slugs) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margalot Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 I have never seen a slow worm But I know they have just put on hold a new development in Bristol, because they found them there! dont let the developers know! otherwise they will be recruiting chickens in future! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tidygirlsuk Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 I've never heard of a slow worm b4 now. I think google is calling me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 I remember as a child finding a cat munching his way through a very crunchy slow-worm ! Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Thats a shame - slow worms are beautiful & so good for the garden. Do they live in one particular area & can you fence it off from the hens in some way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
attenbhp Posted April 17, 2009 Author Share Posted April 17, 2009 They live all over the garden. They curl up in piles of leaves, under logs and such. The chickens can't help but find them as they love to scratch around in all the same places that the slow worms like to live. We used to have a lot more, but the cats used to catch them, bring them into the house, and leave little bits of slow worm all over the place. We are an eco-disaster area! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 I guess the only thisg that would stop them would to put Bumper bits on them, but then they also couldn't pick uo all the slugs & stuff that you want them to get Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 this happened to me this week as well. I dug a hole in a leafy damp bit of a border to plant a rose and before I could stop them somebody found and swallowed a slow-worm. You wouldn't think it was possible. I was horrified - but luckily I know we have at least 3 'nests' of them in compost bins and the grass clipping pile; which are strictly no-hen areas! I've just discovered we have newts (not the protected great crested) as well and reading up about them they live on land Oct-March so I sincerely hope the marauders don't find where they live especially as I've read on here that some hens will eat frogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodcat Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 We have slow worms and we had terrible trouble with the chickens and them. At one point one of the chooks had pecked one and it had wrapped itself around her beak rather like a cartoon. I had to chase her all round the garden to try and get it off her. We also have a nest of them under our patio as i discovered when i lifted one of the slabs and found about thirty of them. Twasn't fun for me as i have a major problem with snakes and they look way to like a snake for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 I think the warm weather earlier this week (or was it last week? ) has woken them up. I rescued one from Teddie the other day and put it under a slab. The chooks don't seem to search them out, so I'm hopeful it won't be a regular thing. Our slow worms (North Abingdon) all come from 16 that a neighbour brought back from Dorset about 20 years ago and put in his compost heap. They've now spread everywhere and even crossed the road so they are well established. I don't think my 3 bantams will dent the population at all. They are lovely - just like copper tubes and they help to keep the slugs etc down. And I don't like snakes either Tricia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 I didn't know they ate slugs - goody Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
