Ant bit chick?

[tls759]

Poor little chick we gave them some ants and one pecked it a few times, then ate it. She just started "screaming" and gulping that lasted for a little while, do you think it bit her? We made her drink and eat some bread. I hope she's ok.

 

[texas_is_home]

She's fine.

 

[toyzbox]

Will they eat ants whenthey get older? We have quite a red ant problem here.

 

[cugo18]

yeah a very big problem with the red fire ants i was told that they can hurt or even kill the chickens if they get bitten by the ants. even my kids and i get bitten by them and they hurt.

 

[firedove]

Chickens will usually avoid red ants. Like most birds they know that red means bad things in nature. From other posts I have heard that chickens will avoid red ant hills completely. Chickens also don't tend to like ants when they get older. As I understand it ants are very bitter and the chickens don't think they taste good so they wont eat them.

 

[GAchick]

Too bad they don't eat ants.... We have fire ants down here pretty bad. But come to think of it, I won't be able to put fire ant killer out after the girls go out, will I? That ant killer is granular, and I bet the chickens will think it's food for them! Dang, I better treat the yard this weekend, before the girls get anywhere near big enough to go out side their coop. (Not even in the coop yet, still in the brooder. They're one week old today!

 

[cugo18]

i went a made a really big coop pin for my chickens looks lik e five room house just no solid walls nd they stay inside there all the time dont want any of mine to run away or get chased by anyones dogs that like to run thru my yard.