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Blister Beetles

post #1 of 3
9/11/09 at 1:07pm
Thread Starter 

Is it safe for chickens to eat blister beetles.  Blister beetles have damaged my chard and I plan on feeding it to the chickens.  Normally I feed the creepy crawlies from my garden to the chickens, but I'm wondering if that is a good idea with these things.  I know blister beetles are dangerous to cows and horses.  Does anyone have any experience with them and chickens?

Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought....Abraham Lincoln (Freedom carries responsibility)

The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right.....Judge Learned Hand  (The more sure your are that your way is the only right way, the more likely you are wrong.)
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Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought....Abraham Lincoln (Freedom carries responsibility)

The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right.....Judge Learned Hand  (The more sure your are that your way is the only right way, the more likely you are wrong.)
Reply

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post #2 of 3
9/11/09 at 1:16pm

I know they're bad for horses, but we don't worry about them with our cows.....I give my chickens and ducks some alfalfa during the winter and I know it's from cuttings that probably have them.

I'm a Farmer/Rancher  Wife,Mom & Grandma  No Farms, No food. 
If you want house chickens and ducks in diapers then this is the forum for you.
I've got 50+ years of poultry experience, but this 'poultry' forum isn't for me anymore.
If you're going to complain about farmers, don't do it with a full belly or a mouthful.
Reply
I'm a Farmer/Rancher  Wife,Mom & Grandma  No Farms, No food. 
If you want house chickens and ducks in diapers then this is the forum for you.
I've got 50+ years of poultry experience, but this 'poultry' forum isn't for me anymore.
If you're going to complain about farmers, don't do it with a full belly or a mouthful.
Reply
post #3 of 3
9/11/09 at 5:23pm
Thread Starter 

This is an exerpt from the link below.  Everything I've read says horses are more susceptible than sheep or cattle, but they can still cause severe problems for sheep and cattle.  Although this site does not mention chickens, I'll not purposely feed the beetles to the chickens.  Why take a chance.

All species of blister beetles produce a toxic substance called cantharidin. This toxin is a well-known vesicant (blister-causing substance) that is quickly absorbed upon contact and causes inflammation and blistering of internal and external body tissues. The amount of toxin produced varies considerably between species. The ash-gray, black, striped, and margined blister beetles are a few of the more common species which produce levels of cantharidin capable of poisoning livestock. Livestock come in contact with blister beetles when they consume infested alfalfa hay. Horses are most susceptible to the toxin, while sheep and cattle are more tolerant. The reaction to the toxin depends upon the relative dose; enough ingested beetles can be lethal to any animal.

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/pests/e1002w.htm

Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought....Abraham Lincoln (Freedom carries responsibility)

The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right.....Judge Learned Hand  (The more sure your are that your way is the only right way, the more likely you are wrong.)
Reply
Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought....Abraham Lincoln (Freedom carries responsibility)

The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right.....Judge Learned Hand  (The more sure your are that your way is the only right way, the more likely you are wrong.)
Reply
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