Lizards are creatures that are found across the entire United States. These creatures can be found roaming your backyard. If you have lizards in your yard, you may be wondering if chickens eat them.
So, do chickens eat lizards? Yes, chickens will eat lizards when they have the opportunity. Chickens are omnivores, so they will eat both plants and meats. Most types of lizards are small and not poisonous, so it’s safe for them to eat them.
Is It Safe for Chickens To Eat Lizards?
There are some lizards that are dangerous and some are not. It really depends on what part of the country you live in.
For the most part, lizards found across the U.S. are not poisonous and pose no danger to the chicken.
However, in states like Florida, lizards like the iguana and monitor lizards are abundant now. These lizards are large in size and very aggressive. Chickens will have no match against them and could end up as prey to them.
For all other lizards, they are much smaller than the chickens and don’t pose any risk to them.
If the chickens try to bite them, the lizard may bite and scratch the chickens, but that’s about it.
What Health Benefits Do Chickens Get From Eating Lizards?
Lizards do not have very much nutrition. It has a little bit of protein, fats, and carbohydrates. These nutrients are what the chickens need daily.
In order for the chicken to benefit a lot of nutrition from eating lizards, they will need to eat a lot of it each day.
Therefore, lizards don’t provide many health benefits for the chickens.
What Kinds Of Lizards Do Chickens Eat?
There are thousands of different species of lizards around the world. In the United States, there are hundreds, including invasive species such as the iguana and monitor lizards.
Iguana and monitor lizards are usually found in Florida, where it’s warm, and they survive.
For the most part, the most common backyard lizards found throughout the U.S. are anoles, skinks, geckos, and whiptails. All of these lizards are harmless and pose no risk to the chickens.
Therefore, they will make a tasty snack for chickens.
Will Lizards Eat Chicken Eggs?
Yes, some species of lizards will eat chicken eggs. Lizards such as geckos and brown anoles are known to eat eggs by cracking them open.
If you found eggs in your coop that is eaten, it could be other predators as well. A lizard will not usually go into a chicken coop since they know they’ll be attacked and eaten by the chickens.
However, if there’s an egg that’s left unattended, or it fell off the nest, a lizard will seize the opportunity to eat it.
What Do Lizards Eat?
Like chickens, lizards are also omnivores. This means they will eat both plants and meat.
Lizards will eat all sorts of things such as small insects, plants, chicken feeds, and any food scraps that chickens eat.
They tend to go for small food that they can eat easily. Lizards don’t chew their food, they will swallow it whole.
The lizards usually end up as a meal for chickens when they enter the coop. They will go into the coop looking for food and when they are spotted by the chickens, they will be pecked at and eaten.
Other Backyard Creatures That Chickens Can Eat
Crickets
Crickets are abundant in the backyard during the summer. Chickens will usually go after the crickets if they see them. Make sure the crickets in your yard are not exposed to chemicals such as fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides. These chemicals are usually used in the garden to help grow vegetables and keep pests away. If you don’t use any of these chemicals yourself, make sure your neighbors are not using any either.
If the chemicals are used, avoid letting the chickens eat crickets. These chemicals will get pass down to the chickens once they eat the crickets, and it is very toxic to them.
Grasshoppers
Grasshoppers are full of nutrition, especially protein. Chickens will catch and eat them at every chance they get. Also, grasshoppers will keep the chickens active since they are quick and will make the chickens run after them.
Ladybugs
Chickens will eat ladybugs when they see one. There are some types of ladybugs that are capable of emitting a foul-smelling odor. This is their defense mechanism to protect themselves from being eaten, but it’s harmless to the chickens.
Conclusion
Most lizards make a great snack for chickens. They are small and are harmless to chickens. However, if you’re raising chickens in Florida, you may have to watch out for iguana and monitor lizards. These two lizards are capable of killing a chicken. As for all the other states, you won’t have to worry about a lizard attacking your chickens.
