Chickens And Spiders?

[barbaraann123]

Finally, I finished my dog/chicken run yesterday. 10 x 10 x 6. (it's really a dog run, but I keep three Bantams in it) I can finally walk through a gate and not have bird mesh catch on my curlers in the am! It is wonderful!
While I was cleaning up the old pen, I found one Black Widow spider and two Brown Widows (one with three egg sacs) under chairs and a wooden bench. I know that I should be careful around these, but what about the chickens? Has anyone ever heard of them getting bitten?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I kill all black widows I find. They are just too dangerous to have in a populated area. Never heard of a brown widow; do you mean a brown recluse? I would kill them, too for the same reason. Other spiders I view as helpful in keeping the insect population under contol.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Your chickens will eat both the black and brown widows if they find them. I used to have a very large population of black widows in my back yard but they didn't last long once I got chickens. I also haven't ever heard of a chicken being bitten.

 

[barbaraann123]

Well thanks for the answers. The brown widow has become very well known here in SC lately. She's just like the black but brown with red hour-glass on underside and they say the bite is even worse than the black widow's. Their egg sacs look like tiny under water mines, or sandspurs but round and larger. They were both found where the chickens couldn't get to them, but right where I would have put my hand when picking up the chairs. I will certainly be more careful and wear gloves when moving things. You can bet these spiders (once identified) won't be building any more nests! They are right up there with fire-ants in my eradication program.

 

[dirtychix]

Mine love to eat spiders...

 

[RedDrgn]

Our chicks absolutely demolish any spider they find, so I wouldn't be too worried about the spiders getting the chickens.

Also, while I am unfamiliar with brown widow spiders, I do know that black widow spiders are very docile and generally avoid hanging out in any areas where there is a lot of disturbance (by people/chickens/etc.). Thus, even if you have them in an area where your chickens will be, what the chickens don't immediately devour will likely seek calmer places to call home in a hurry.

 

[southerndesert]