Chickens absolutely eat termites, and they love them. Free-ranging chickens will actively hunt for termites, scratching through soil and decaying wood to find them. In parts of India, poultry keepers have deliberately grown termites to feed their flocks for generations. If you’ve spotted your chickens going after a termite colony, they’re doing exactly what comes naturally.
Why Chickens Go Crazy for Termites
Chickens are opportunistic omnivores that eat insects, seeds, greens, and just about anything small enough to swallow. Termites rank among their favorite finds. Poultry keepers who raise termites in clay pots report that chickens will rush toward the pot the moment it’s brought out, even before the termites are visible. Some chickens get so eager they climb right inside the container to feed.
This enthusiasm makes sense from a nutritional standpoint. Termites are soft-bodied, easy to catch in large numbers, and packed with exactly the nutrients chickens need. A flock with access to termite-rich ground will spend hours scratching and pecking at infested wood or soil.
Nutritional Value of Termites for Chickens
Termites are remarkably nutrient-dense. Dried termite meal from the species Macrotermes subhyalinus contains about 46% protein, which is higher than soybean meal (typically 44 to 48%) and comparable to fishmeal. They also carry around 30% fat on a dry-weight basis, making them a concentrated energy source.
Beyond raw protein and fat, termites supply a strong profile of essential amino acids. Lysine, one of the most important amino acids for egg production and feather growth, makes up nearly 7% of dried termite meal. They also contain meaningful amounts of calcium, phosphorus, and potassium, all minerals that laying hens need in steady supply. The calcium content is particularly relevant: research from Siaya County, Kenya found that locally harvested termites could help meet the calcium demands of laying hens on smallholder farms.
Effects on Growth and Egg Laying
Studies in sub-Saharan Africa, where termites are plentiful and commercial feed is expensive, have tested termites as a direct protein replacement in chicken diets. Research in Burkina Faso found that substituting fishmeal with fresh termites in chick diets maintained the same daily weight gain, though the birds needed slightly more feed to reach the same weight. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, chick feed containing 12% termite meal produced significant weight gains and proved more cost-effective than commercial feed.
For backyard flocks, termites won’t replace a balanced feed ration, but they make an excellent protein supplement. Chickens that forage on insects like termites tend to produce eggs with richer, darker yolks because of the varied fats and nutrients in their diet. If your birds have regular access to termite-infested logs or soil, they’re getting a meaningful nutritional boost on top of their regular feed.
One Risk to Watch: Pesticide-Treated Termites
The termites themselves are perfectly safe for chickens to eat. The real danger comes from termites that have been exposed to chemical treatments. If your property has been treated for termites, or if you suspect a neighbor’s yard has been treated, the insects your chickens find could carry residues of termiticides.
Common termite treatments use an active ingredient called fipronil, which is classified as highly toxic to birds if inhaled and can persist in soil for three to five years depending on moisture and sunlight exposure. Permethrin-based treatments carry similar risks. The concentrations in individual termites are small, and the EPA prohibits chemicals with a “secondary kill” factor (meaning they shouldn’t be lethal when a predator eats a poisoned insect). Still, repeated exposure adds up.
If your home has bait stations rather than soil-applied chemicals, the risk is lower. Bait stations contain poisoned wood inside sealed containers, keeping the chemicals more contained. But if your property has had a liquid barrier treatment applied to the soil in the last few years, it’s worth keeping your chickens away from the treated perimeter. As a general rule, chickens foraging on untreated land, eating wild termites from rotting logs or natural mounds, face no meaningful risk.
How to Offer Termites to Your Flock
You don’t need to do anything special if your chickens free-range on land with natural termite activity. They’ll find the insects on their own. Flipping over rotting logs, old stumps, or pieces of untreated wood near the coop gives your birds easy access to termite colonies underneath.
Some keepers take a more deliberate approach. The traditional method used in India involves burying a clay pot filled with cow dung and dried grass or straw. Termites colonize the organic material over a few weeks, and you then pull the pot up and set it out for the chickens. This works best in warm, humid climates where termite populations are large and active. In cooler or drier regions, simply leaving piles of untreated scrap wood or cardboard in contact with bare soil can attract termites over time, giving your flock a foraging spot to visit.
Termites are a seasonal bonus in most climates, not a year-round feed source. They’re most active and accessible during warm, wet months. Treat them as a high-quality supplement rather than a dietary staple, and your chickens will benefit from the extra protein and fat whenever they can get it.