Arizona Chickens

[Parront]

Back to the cockroach problem...
The area in front of my house has decorative wood mulch... once or twice a year I rake it out, and add it to my backyard (chicken paradise). About 2-3 months ago my husband sprayed poison in it (grrrr) the bugs are back, so my husband says it safe for the chickens.... Do I take a chance on letting the chickens at the mulch and the bugs in it?

Roaches become immune to the poison we use on them. I would not want my hens eating them, then I eat the eggs, the poison could concentrate in the eggs an us humans aren't immune.

 

[DesertChic]

Roaches become immune to the poison we use on them. I would not want my hens eating them, then I eat the eggs, the poison could concentrate in the eggs an us humans aren't immune.

I'm with @Parront on this one. I wouldn't let my chickens anywhere near places that have been sprayed with insecticide. My husband still sprays the front of our house where the chickens never go, but I have strict rules about him spraying anything anywhere near "chicken areas". Luckily, the chickens keep the bug populations down in the back yard...except for the ants. We have way too many ants.

 

[Parront]

I'm with @Parront on this one. I wouldn't let my chickens anywhere near places that have been sprayed with insecticide. My husband still sprays the front of our house where the chickens never go, but I have strict rules about him spraying anything anywhere near "chicken areas". Luckily, the chickens keep the bug populations down in the back yard...except for the ants. We have way too many ants.

Wouldn't it be nice if they ate the ants!

 

[nicollee]

Wouldn't it be nice if they ate the ants!

My Svart Hona seems to have made a difference on the ant population...

I'm with @Parront on this one. I wouldn't let my chickens anywhere near places that have been sprayed with insecticide. My husband still sprays the front of our house where the chickens never go, but I have strict rules about him spraying anything anywhere near "chicken areas". Luckily, the chickens keep the bug populations down in the back yard...except for the ants. We have way too many ants.

and he knows I am averse poison anywhere in/near the house... he just got so angry at the roaches, that he did it, and told me later... He knows not to use any in the backyard, we lost a chicken one year cause she got in an area that he sprayed(where they were NOT supposed to be)...

Roaches become immune to the poison we use on them. I would not want my hens eating them, then I eat the eggs, the poison could concentrate in the eggs an us humans aren't immune.

Gottcha....

 

[MagicChicken]

I'm with @Parront on this one. I wouldn't let my chickens anywhere near places that have been sprayed with insecticide. My husband still sprays the front of our house where the chickens never go, but I have strict rules about him spraying anything anywhere near "chicken areas". Luckily, the chickens keep the bug populations down in the back yard...except for the ants. We have way too many ants.

I agree. I wouldn't spread the insecticided mulch in the chicken area. A light sprinkling of food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE) might help with the mulch/roach issue (in lieu of pesticide chemicals). It helps if you can spread the DE at the beginning of a long dry spell. If the area is wet the DE won't work. I use DE in my coops when the ants get to be awful, but it is only a temporary solution. Ants are the worst. I used to have a lot of horned lizards that would help with the ant population, but they seem to be scarce now. Not sure why. I don't spray insecticides.

You can get the food-grade DE at some feed stores. I got a 50 lb bag for not much more than a 10 lb bag. It has lasted two years and I'm not even halfway through it. I split it into 5 gallon buckets for storage. 50 lbs of feed fits into two 5 gallon buckets. 50 lbs of DE took five buckets. For most people, 10 lbs would be more than adequate. Now I know.

 

[Parront]

I am interested in birds that eat ants! Do those beautiful splash Australorps eat ants? Svart Hona sound cool, but so rare I could not bear to eat the cockerels!

 

[nicollee]

my hen

I am interested in birds that eat ants! Do those beautiful splash Australorps eat ants? Svart Hona sound cool, but so rare I could not bear to eat the cockerels!

My hen was in a mixed batch of eggs we hatched.... she is really friendly, she is also the one that's been broody all summer.... her brother was a gorgeous mix, but since we wound up hatching 3of5 roos, they all had to go. ;( got to keep the small buff mix, and the svart hona...

 

[Parront]

my hen

My hen was in a mixed batch of eggs we hatched.... she is really friendly, she is also the one that's been broody all summer.... her brother was a gorgeous mix, but since we wound up hatching 3of5 roos, they all had to go. ;( got to keep the small buff mix, and the svart hona... View attachment 1139450

Great photo! I'd really break the bank to get some like her, but I can have that fantasy until we move to future chicken friendly place! Dylan is enough of a bird splurge, probably chickens should be more practical? Great to get one that nice in a mix batch.

 

[BlueBaby]

I am interested in birds that eat ants! Do those beautiful splash Australorps eat ants? Svart Hona sound cool, but so rare I could not bear to eat the cockerels!

I haven't been seeing any ants inside of my coop or run. I do see ants around other parts of my yard where my Australorp's don't go. They go crazy when I pick up the water pans to clean them out and add fresh water to them, going after all of the crickets and other bugs that like to hide underneath them.

 

[meetthebubus]

My bubus aren't one for bugs, I did get a few wild toads and lizards hanging out with them this summer, I let them be bc they eat ants, flies and termites, my ant population has died down thanks to the toads