Are ants ok for chickens?

[littlechicks02]

Heyo, I have got my chicken gangsters free ranging and there is a huge ant (green ant Australia) nest and they are obsessed with eating them up, and I know for a fact that chickens do not have teeth so are they okay with those live ants in them?? They have access to grit, which I throw generously over their coop yard. Thanks!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Unless your green ants down under are poisonous there is no downside to the birds eating them. Mine go nuts when I turn over a rock to expose a nest. They really like the eggs.

Grit doesn't need to be supplied generously. If the birds have the proper size stone it stays in the gizzard for a very long time. Smaller stone pass quickly but a few the proper size will last and last. Mine forage for their own stone, I don't supply any until the ground freezes and then it's a handful or two every two weeks for about 10 birds. I get that from the driveway into small pail pre ice over.