Bug zapper for supplemental snacks...

[MTR]

So we have a bug problem. We live in the woods and have tons of them. I remember as a kid we had an old school bug zapper and I got to thinking. Is this a genius two for one. I have a covered run so I hung the zapper from the roof so the bugs will fall to the chickens. Seems like a great idea - what are your thoughts?

 

[Chookchicken]

If the chickens jump they won’t be able to accidentally touch the zapper? It has to be a really high roof for you to be able to guarantee they won’t. We have a bantam chicken who was able to jump all the way up to the ceiling on our run. The run roof is at least 190cm’s tall. Maybe if you attach it outside of the coop, but that would have a risk of hitting the birds. It most likely wouldn’t kill the chicken, but it does have a risk of severally injuring the chicken. Also if a chicken does manage to hit it and also manages to knock it down how do you stop it from hurting the other chickens as they (being chickens) come and start pecking at it. I know some zappers these days have like a extra layer of none electric wire surrounding the actual electric wire. I personally think it’s not the best idea to put an object that can kill something around your chickens.

 

[Pullet Press]

I have been curious as to whether chickens could have the zapped bugs. (We get a ton.)
You could have the zapper on your back porch, out of the chickens' reach, and then empty it out in your coop or chicken pen whenever it's full, or when you think the birds could use a snack.

 

[MTR]

If the chickens jump they won’t be able to accidentally touch the zapper? It has to be a really high roof for you to be able to guarantee they won’t. We have a bantam chicken who was able to jump all the way up to the ceiling on our run. The run roof is at least 190cm’s tall. Maybe if you attach it outside of the coop, but that would have a risk of hitting the birds. It most likely wouldn’t kill the chicken, but it does have a risk of severally injuring the chicken. Also if a chicken does manage to hit it and also manages to knock it down how do you stop it from hurting the other chickens as they (being chickens) come and start pecking at it. I know some zappers these days have like a extra layer of none electric wire surrounding the actual electric wire. I personally think it’s not the best idea to put an object that can kill something around your chickens.

My zapper is covered in plastic mesh and they don’t jump. I have larger heritage breeds

 

[Chookchicken]

My zapper is covered in plastic mesh and they don’t jump. I have larger heritage breeds

Your roof is really high? Often chickens don’t jump until they get REALLY spooked, or are trying to escape from another chicken. Even though it may not be normal for them to, you still need to be sure that in the rare case they do there is no chance of them hitting the zapper.

 

[MTR]

Your roof is really high? Often chickens don’t jump until they get REALLY spooked, or are trying to escape from another chicken. Even though it may not be normal for them to, you still need to be sure that in the rare case they do there is no chance of them hitting the zapper.

Even if they did they can’t get to the zapper because it has a plastic cover

 

[Chookchicken]

Even if they did they can’t get to the zapper because it has a plastic cover

Then how does it zap flys?

 

[MTR]

They fly through the openings - about 1” square

 

[MTR]

Then how does it zap flys?

The only thing I was thinking could be a problem is if it was ok to eat zapped bugs - but I think it should be fine - they are just slightly cooked

 

[Chookchicken]

It should be fine to feed zapped flys to your chickens. In the end of the day you do what you want to do, no one is stopping you. What you have sounds fairly safe and shouldn’t cause any problems