Hi, My neighbor's chicken ate a brown widow spider on Monday! We live in Southern California and we have lots of Black Widows. Over the last two or three years we have been also invaded by a similar variety of spider called the Brown Widow. You know you have them if you find prickly egg sacks. They like outdoor plastic toys like playhouses and slides, trash cans, and patio furniture according to all my neighbors. I have read they are more poisonious than black widows, but don't inject as much poison with their bite. My neighbor often gives pincher bugs as treats to the chickens and she has a glove on when she does it. She noticed a Brown Widow and its nest in the chicken tractor and went in w/ the glove to grab it. The chickens thought it must be a treat and then noticed the spider. The Speckled Sussex snatched it and ate it before my neighbor could grab the widow it and kill it. I had read previously spiders didn't harm the chickens if they ate them. So far, the speckled sussex has had no noticeable problems. Does anyone else have experience with the chickens eating poisionous spiders? I ask because there are so many around here.
I used to leave the black widows alone that were around my house, because they eat scorpions. All gone. Chickens ate all they could find.
My chick just ate a spider a few hours ago..it was pretty cool...just wanted to share,hahaha. But I don't think it will harm the chicken. If the chicken seems fine.....
Quote:They have a lot of work to do around here if that is the case. My neighbor was really concerned when it happened. Since I remembered reading chickens ate spiders, I wasn't too worried, but I would have felt terrible for her if it got sick or died because the speckled sussex is her favorite.
Glad this thread exists. Our 6 wk olds just discovered how to get under our deck, and I'm pretty sure they're chowing down on a huge cache of brown widows under there. Heck, maybe I'll let them loose in the garage next!
