What are these bugs??

[muck lover]

Hi. I have thick mulches over various areas. Some with grass clippings and leaf mould and some with a further layer of cardboard on top of that.
Almost anywhere I pull back the mulch the ground us seething with literally hundreds of these mid brown wormy things. Are they some sort of mealworm?
Can anyone identify these? I am assuming they are not terrible pests - please tell me I am correct.
I am getting some chickens in the spring when I retire and am also assuming these would be a major treat.

There was a robin hopping about waiting for them as I was photographing.

[Small pumpkin]

Look like leather jackets to me. Crane fly larvae.

[veggiechicken]

Could they be Cutworms?

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=910

[Penellype]

They look to me like leatherjackets (crane fly larvae). They will eat plant roots and are particularly destructive in lawns. Feed them to your robin!

[muck lover]

Well if these all turn into daddy long legs get ready for a swarm of biblical proportions. Build a bunker. Stock up food. Nail your windows closed and invest in masks and personal protection gear for the whole family including the dog.
There are literally thousands of them. Are they going to ruin next year’s growing???

[muck lover]

I’m freaking out a bit here.

[muck lover]

Looking at the link( thanks!) I don’t think they are cutworms. Not chubby enough and in huge clusters whereas I thought cutworms were were found in smaller numbers.
Which leaves leatherjackets...

[veggiechicken]

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=651

[muck lover]

I thought they were some innocent creatures enjoying the mulch..... there aren’t any roots there for them to eat at the moment.
This is some kind of karma for killing that bl***y mouse in polytunnel.

[Penellype]

The RHS link says that most species of crane fly are not pests and many feed on decaying organic matter. If these are in your mulch rather than your lawn, you may have one of the non-pest varieties.

[muck lover]

I think you must be right. There are huge clusters of them. All the same when I get my chickens I might make a chicken tractor thing and let them munch a bit before sowing or planting next year.

[It never rains..it pours]

You now know you can feed the wild birds if its a hard winter

[muck lover]

There are enough for a winter soup for humans too.