Do chickens eat ants or do they avoid them?

[Phage]

I was wondering if chickens eat ants in addition to other insects, or do they avoid them?

I ask because some ants are collecting at one end of the coop. The 4 hens always lay at the other end of the coop. Is that because they don't like ants, or are the ants there because they don't use that end ... sorta like a chicken and egg question.......

 

[Uppity Peon]

I was splitting firewood and got a piece of pine that had some carpenter ants in it. Puff Daddy started eating them but I don't think he thought they were very wonderful. Otherwise he would have called a few pullets over to impress them with his find.

 

[detali]

My chickens also seem to be avoiding ants. They go crazy for any other kind of bugs but just look at ants and walk on.

 

[ginbart]

It's funny you ask that question today. I was outside pulling weeds by the barn, thank God I was standing, I felt something on my legs and there were about 20 red ants on me. I was jumping up and down trying to get them off. I called my chickens and they would not touch them.

I guess that doesn't help, sorry.

 

[CMV]

My chickens won't touch them.

 

[Break an Egg]

I've seen mine do it, until their legs started to get bitten

 

[wildorchid053]

i put an old log in the coop not realizing there were tons of carpenter ants in it.. the hens picked it clean.. i was suprised because ants have a smell to them.. ugh

 

[chixrus]

only my silkies will eat them

 

[beginnerchick08]

Mine use to eat them but the ants start bitting and they didnt like that. So now they dont bother with them.

 

[i'mclucked]

my girls won't touch native red ant's[ so. cal] . in my corn patch , they kill the the non native ants ,[ from so. america], who are aphid mining my corn. this is a blessing, although the girls , do reap havoc on any corn within their reach.