Chickens and Spiders??

[ReillyJ]

I don't know what sub forum to post this in so...

i have 4 hens that i acquired in May and they free range during the day which includes around the perimeters of my house and i am wondering (and HOPE it's not a coincidence) if the reason i didn't see the usual influx of the "giant house spiders" that we have in WA state during the Fall is that maybe the chickens ate a lot of them and the eggs?

Thought just popped in my head

 

[ShockValue]

I've seen my chickens eat a few spiders, but they don't go crazy for them. But I know that can depend a lot on what their momma hen taught them is "good eats" thought....

I think I'll tell my wife that it's true though, regardless. She hates spiders, so that would make her appreciate the chickens (and overlook the poop on the deck stairs) more

 

[nj2wv]

Mine eat spiders.

They eat stink bugs too. Everyone one around here are swarmed in them. Not at my house. The chickens keep them under control.

 

[BonRae67]

I don't think there is a bug, spider, beetle on the farm that the chickens won't eat. There is hardly any spoders in the barn anywhere.

 

[PrairieChickens]

The only thing I haven't been able to get my chickens to eat are those !@#$ing squash bugs. I had some success with a young batch of chicks I got over the summer--we'll see if they maintain an interest in eating them when summer returns. Spiders, though? Oh yeah. They won't hesitate to eat any crawlies they see scurrying through the grass.

 

[RonP]

I can't say with certainty that they helped eliminate them, but they sure wouldn't help them.

 

[seagirl]

my girls love love spiders and all of the other icky critters I don't care for. a few of them have even been spotted eating small mice!