Arizona Chickens

[igorsMistress]

@DuckMochi I was wondering if she ate it. I'm so sorry, poor little thing.

I would try hunting at night with a black light out there and smashing them. I've been told the poison doesn't do anything to scorpions but kills their food...bugs. I dunno.

 

[igorsMistress]

Most anything and mostly places where they can hide, or areas that aren't normally disturbed.... hay, grass, wood chips, wood piles, etc.

So, did you just end up with only the one blue roo in the bunch, then? I just moved 6 more chicks out to my wire dog crate for them out in the coop yesterday, but still have 2 in the house yet (my little splash that I think is a girl, and a blue to keep her company for now).

I'm glad I keep an eye on the nest boxes then

I'm not sure about the black one. It's comb is a bit bigger than the little blues and it sure acts like a boy. I'm in wait and see mode for now.

 

[SonoranChick]

This is ironic..just watched my little brown leghorn devour a bark scorpion! It was under a log that I moved. She caught it and then several of them fought over it, and then she just swallowed it! It was the size of my pinky nail. Very gross, but glad she took care of it for me! She seems to be doing just fine, I keep checking on her.

 

[DesertChic]

Good to know!! Do you know if it's just the hay, or is it anything including pine and stuff?

Btw Blue Kazoo is our official roo now. He's getting big, does a great job keeping his little flock together. They've been free ranging for a couple days but stick to the side yard where their coop is. No one has ventured into the big world beyond, but they peek a lot!

My Naked Necks LOVE to eat scorpions. My eldest NN rooster was stung in the face by a bark scorpion, right in front of me. Within five seconds all of his muscles had contracted and he was paralyzed. I immediately pulverized a single diphenhydramine capsule, dissolved it in water, and fed it to him via syringe. Then I sat with him in my lap for a full hour while the drug took effect. After that he was finally able to stand, and then walk, and return to the flock.

I know of several other people who lost chickens to scorpion stings. They're nothing to mess with...but they're also a great protein source for the birds.

 

[SonoranChick]

My Naked Necks LOVE to eat scorpions. My eldest NN rooster was stung in the face by a bark scorpion, right in front of me. Within five seconds all of his muscles had contracted and he was paralyzed. I immediately pulverized a single diphenhydramine capsule, dissolved it in water, and fed it to him via syringe. Then I sat with him in my lap for a full hour while the drug took effect. After that he was finally able to stand, and then walk, and return to the flock.

I know of several other people who lost chickens to scorpion stings. They're nothing to mess with...but they're also a great protein source for the birds.

This is good to know should I ever deal with one that gets stung. I was wondering how long it would take effect if she were to be stung. She had it by the tail and it's little pitchers were going, it was a bit creepy but like you said, great source of protein!

 

[igorsMistress]

Thanks! @DesertChic very useful and how lucky for both you and your roo!! Was this a childs dose of diphenhydramine?

I haven't seen any scorpions here and I'm the yard worker for almost everything. Doesn't mean they aren't here of course so I'd like to be prepared.

 

[Junochick]

While on the subject of poisonous insects in Arizona, my leghorn ate a black widow spider the other day with no ill effects. I try to kill all the nasty insects by smashing them. She grabbed it ,tossed it on the ground a couple times then just ate it. I was glad to hear Benadryl worked for the scorpion stings for chickens. My dog has had a couple reactions to ? Went to the vet she got a Benadryl shot, next time I treated her at home.

 

[BlueBaby]

I'm glad I keep an eye on the nest boxes then

I'm not sure about the black one. It's comb is a bit bigger than the little blues and it sure acts like a boy. I'm in wait and see mode for now.

Ok, so we still have to wait to know if the black one is pullet or cockerel then. Maybe you could get a good picture of your black one and post it here for us to try to help?

 

[DesertChic]

Thanks! @DesertChic very useful and how lucky for both you and your roo!! Was this a childs dose of diphenhydramine?

I haven't seen any scorpions here and I'm the yard worker for almost everything. Doesn't mean they aren't here of course so I'd like to be prepared.

It was an adult dosage. Just one capsule, though I didn't give him the whole thing; only about half once dissolved in water.

Our vet had us use the same drug on our dog when he was bitten on the nose by a rattlesnake. It's one of the few medications I actually give to my chickens, but so far only that one time.

 

[DesertChic]

While on the subject of poisonous insects in Arizona, my leghorn ate a black widow spider the other day with no ill effects. I try to kill all the nasty insects by smashing them. She grabbed it ,tossed it on the ground a couple times then just ate it. I was glad to hear Benadryl worked for the scorpion stings for chickens. My dog has had a couple reactions to ? Went to the vet she got a Benadryl shot, next time I treated her at home.

One of my favorite NNs was bitten by a black widow this past summer and died.