Can ants wipe out a whole flock?

[Feathered_Texans]

So this happened before I had BYC, but I had 14 pullets about 6 weeks old. We were in a drought and the property the chickens were at had an invasive species of ants from some foreign country. Due to the drought they may have been looking for water and found an easy place to get it in the coop. How ever I had 14 chickens and overnight all of them died and by morning they were covered in ants. The chickens were not full grown and I guess with that many ants they just couldn’t get away. Also, if you know if a good chicken safe way to keep away ants, please share.

 

[AlishaRichard]

So this happened before I had BYC, but I had 14 pullets about 6 weeks old. We were in a drought and the property the chickens were at had an invasive species of ants from some foreign country. Due to the drought they may have been looking for water and found an easy place to get it in the coop. How ever I had 14 chickens and overnight all of them died and by morning they were covered in ants. The chickens were not full grown and I guess with that many ants they just couldn’t get away. Also, if you know if a good chicken safe way to keep away ants, please share.

Yes especially red ants. I have had them wipe chicks out several times. I use diatomaceous earth. It has worked sense I started mixing it in bedding and in the run too. Can put it right on birds as well.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Ants?? Huh, that's wild.

 

[WthrLady]

Oh, ya. red ant, fire ants.... chickens are actually overwhelmed and suffer toxic shock from venom. Poor things. Agree, DE.

 

[Feathered_Texans]

I used diatomaceous earth one time and it didn’t seem to affect the ants, and believe me I used A LOT of it. I even put it out multiple times around the perimeter of the coop and other places I found the ants. Is there anything else that could keep them away?

 

[Fishkeeper]

Diatomaceous earth doesn't help much with inverts, and is a very bad idea to use around poultry. It's sharp-edged and causes serious damage if inhaled in large amounts, especially in birds, which can't clear it out of their lungs. Don't use it.

If you elevate the coop, that can help. Really the only thing to do is keep the coop away from ants, and to try to exterminate the ones in your yard. They're invasive and massively destructive- kill them all!

 

[BlueBaby]

I had some of my chick's that had gotten eaten alive by ant's last summer. We had a terrible ant problem. I went all over the 3 1/2 acre's here to attack all of the anthill's, as my 2 neighbor's next to me were also doing. People like to have those big landscaping rock's, and the ant's also love those to build under them. This year, I have already been walking the yard looking for any new ant activity. I want to nip them in the bud before they get bad again!

Edit: The ant's come in looking for food. Crumble's are easier for them to carry off then the pellets are.

 

[WthrLady]

Borax...but you have to keep it away from the chickens.

 

[BlueBaby]

In trying to trap or kill ant's away from coop's, I have been told that there are basically two different type's of ant's, those that are attracted to sweet based stuff, and those that are attracted to meat based stuff. That sort of helps in determining which type that you have, so that you can get rid of them.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I used diatomaceous earth one time and it didn’t seem to affect the ants, and believe me I used A LOT of it. I even put it out multiple times around the perimeter of the coop and other places I found the ants. Is there anything else that could keep them away?

A permethrin based spray should work well and won't harm the chickens. It's also used to treat lice and mites.... and barn walls etc..

It comes in many brand names. Good luck. Ants can be nasty buggers.