Hen Just Ate a Black Widow Spider!

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Preservation Acres

Preservation Acres

Songster
11 Years
Dec 31, 2008
782
10
141
Murfreesboro, TN
Just as the title says. I picked up their waterer to fill it about 5 minutes ago, and a huge black widow fell to the ground. It apparently crawled under overnight. We have so many of those here in Tennessee.

As soon as it hit the ground, my New Hampshire hen pounced on it and ate it.

Have any of you had experience with anything like that before? Do you know if she'll be ok? Even if she wasn't bit internally, she ingested the venom. I have no idea what will happen next.

Thanks.
 
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I know folks out west talk about their chickens eating big ol tarantulas, so I would think the venom doesn't affect them like it would in a bite. I know I've had a bird eat a bee (which scared me to death) and she was fine. I'm sure your hen will be fine...
 
I think she'll be just fine.

I'm just thinking about it logically (sometimes my logic's off, but go with me). Daddy long legs have the most poisonous venom of any spider, but they don't have a way to inject it in people, so no one worries about them. Also no one worries about it if their chickens eat them.

I don't know why it's different than being bitten by a spider, but i'm pretty sure it is.

That's just my early morning logic. I'm sure someone will correct me if i'm wrong.
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Thanks.

So far all is well. It's been about 30 minutes now and no effects. She swallowed it so fast, she could have been bitten internally. I wouldn't be surprised if it was still alive when it reached her crop.

I'll keep watching her. My wife will watch her after I leave for work, and we'll document what happens.

This could be a good thread for our BYCers to dig up in the future if it happens to them.
 
From what I'm seeing, I think she'll be fine.

She's walking the run with the other hens looking for whatever bugs may have crawled or flown into the area over night.

Funny thing though...she keeps going to the spot where she found the spider. She's scratching around, and it looks like she's trying to find another one. :)
 
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As soon as I posted, that kids book and song "Little Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" popped into my head. It was the horse that got her, not the spider. So don't let your hen eat a horse...lol.
 
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