Chickens Eating Black Widow Spiders

[TNChick2]

So glad to read the poison from black widows is neutralized because my girls ate a bunch of them yesterday as I was moving bricks! I was going to throw away the eggs they've laid since then and REALLY didn't want to, but didn't want to swallow neurotoxins either!!! Thanks so much for the post.

 

[Novaleigh]

Just remember, before anyone goes arachnophobic on the spiders with bug killer, remember to not spray chemicals where the chickens roam. Here is a thread I found on some tragic cases of bug spray (since chickens eat grass and bugs that have been exposed to the bug killer).
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/455299/will-spraying-the-yard-hurt-my-chickens

Remember also that the eggs and meat are effected by the chickens diet, so if your goal is to raise chickens for healthier eggs and/or meat, then using poison defeats the purpose. Just something to keep in mind.

Guess that in a nutshell, tis better to squish then to spray.

 

[StevieNay]

@Novaleigh, you make a great point. I have chicks brooding in my garage and had to stop myself from spraying an egg sack I found this morning. I guess I'll have to swipe it and put it in a jar with a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover. Squishing that could release too many tiny bws.

I had been wondering about whether chickens can eat black widows, we have tons around our place. I know many kinds of venoms are okay to ingest so long as they don't get injected into an animal's system (you can actually eat rattlesnake venom, not that I would). Has anyone ever had a bird die from a spider bite, or would it be really hard to tell if it did?

 

[Novaleigh]

We used to trap spiders and scorpions in containers, then put those containers in the freezer for a few days to kill them (less hassle, cheaper, and less stinky then nail polish remover

). Then we would take them out and let them defrost a bit (whilst still inside the container), then shake the jar so the bug drops out next to the chickens. They run over and have a tasty treat!

I have also read many stories of chickens eating up nests of black widows and never having a problem. They also love eating baby rattlers, they suck them up like noodles!

@Novaleigh, you make a great point. I have chicks brooding in my garage and had to stop myself from spraying an egg sack I found this morning. I guess I'll have to swipe it and put it in a jar with a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover. Squishing that could release too many tiny bws.

I had been wondering about whether chickens can eat black widows, we have tons around our place. I know many kinds of venoms are okay to ingest so long as they don't get injected into an animal's system (you can actually eat rattlesnake venom, not that I would). Has anyone ever had a bird die from a spider bite, or would it be really hard to tell if it did?

 

[krys2000]

Once again, BYC peeps put my mind at ease! Now, I won't worry about my chickens pecking around my BW infested tool shed! Maybe they'll eradicate those blasted spiders!

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

I went out today and used an old umbrella that was sitting outside for a while. About 10 seconds later a black widow came down on a line of silk right in front of my face! Had the umbrella been positioned just a little differently it would have been on my head or the back of my neck!!!!

I'm glad my girls eat them... wish they could move wood and other stuff around to get at every last one of them!

 

[hollyertley]

Killing and eating venomous bugs and Lyme disease carrying ticks is just another great reason to have free range chickens.

Coming from a Vet Tech and science major, you do not have to worry about any venomous bug that is digested. Any toxins will be defeated by stomach acid. (in all critters, not just chickens) Did you know that stomach acid is so strong that we must regrow stomach linings every day. Otherwise it would eat straight through our bodies. That's some good stuff. Bad for the creepy crawlers though.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Now that's some REALLY cool info!

 

[hollyertley]

Thank you. I am full of useless information.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Not useless at all. It entertained my wife when I just read it to her. We love info like that!

(Now I'm just wondering if anybody had a weird disease develop later in life that stopped their lining from regrowing and the acid really did start to eat away??? Weirder body diseases have happened!)