Bee’s in the chicken feed – should I worry?

[cgmccary]

I have some bee hives. On warm days, I always have lots of honeybees from my hives in the feed (not unusual at all if hives are within a couple of miles of you). My chickens ignore them. I have Guineas too. My hives are enough distance away that the Guineas don't venture there. If the Guineas pick off some that are in the feed, I figure that is just nature. Honeybees won't be aggressive away from their hive so no problem there. Honeybees will forage for several miles from the hive. My bees are doing the winter thing -- clustered. I don't find them coming to the chicken feed or out in about unless it is over 55 F.

 

[Kekkel]

I know I'm having the same problem and I dont know what to do. My Hens dont eat properly and affect their lying!!!! Any Tip???

 

[Trefoil]

There may not be anything else for them to eat. I also would try putting some of your starter feed and some sugar water out for them. If bees weren't having such a hard time I would say get some guineas, but I think the bees survival is important.

 

[sage chick]

I have had bees in the feed for the last couple years. They show up early. But this year there are so many my chickens won't go to the feeder. I sprinkle food away but eventually the bees end up swarming there too. Do we just live with it? I love honey bees and their part in our world.

 

[sage chick]

I am in Montrose, Co. New to this site but have had chickens for over ten years! Love my girls.

 

[Zanna]

I have had bees in the feed for the last couple years. They show up early. But this year there are so many my chickens won't go to the feeder. I sprinkle food away but eventually the bees end up swarming there too. Do we just live with it? I love honey bees and their part in our world.

There has been some good information posted here......... I have been a beekeeper for over 15 years (100 plus hives) and a chickenkeeper for over 6 years (50 - 100 chickens). For about a month every spring our honey bees swarm my chicken feeders. They are burrowing in and taking the dust (soy/corn/whatever) back to the hive, it is a pollen replacement for them. Once there is a regular food source (plentifull blooming plants) they would rather collect from the real thing and do. My chickens just kind of duck under the bees, never seen them eat one. The bees all go home early and don't get started till it warms up in the mornings so my chickens have plenty of time to eat their fill. They also get water from my chicken waterers. Normal occurence every year around here, the chickens and bees seem to work it out You could try to put out a few containers of soy flour around but they will probably still find the chicken feed. Most likely temporary......... Check out Grandpas chicken feeders (I think that is what they are called), might be a solution. Chickens have to step on a step for the feeder to open up, they eat, step off and the feeder closes.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

At this time of year bees begin raising large amounts of worker bees to have a large workforce on hand when the spring nectar flow begins.

Honey bees or any other insect or animal needs protein to raise young.

The honey bees’ protein source is powered (dry) pollen.

At this time of year pollen is in short supply.

The dust in many domestic animal feeds like cattle feed, horse feed, chicken feed, dog feed, pig feed etc is as high or higher in raw protein as pollen.

Honey bees work or gather this protein until the pollens in flowers come on line. In a pinch bees will even work or gather fine saw dust to mix with honey and feed their larvae.

What you are seeing is completely normal and usual.

Don’t spas out, relax and enjoy mother nature. Isn't’t that why you began keeping chickens?

Bee keepers even feed a powdered pollen supplement that has many of the same ingredients in it that are in chicken feed to help their bees get a jump on spring.

 

[Campine]

No problem. I've kept bees for years. They get along fine with the chickens.

 

[sage chick]

It isn't a big problem, it is just interesting. Some got in my storage container though and died or suffocated or ate too much dust???.....thank you for all the input as why this is and what to expect. Eat away honey bees!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

You know that and I know that but in other threads this year on this same subject, people were advising that we capture the bees we find working our chicken feed and confine them in an empty hive for their honey production potential.