don't chickens eat flies??

[esjro]

Apparently flies move too fast so are too much effort to eat.

 

[Maris]

We have 5 chickens, 4 different breeds. The more feisty personalities (1 of our Ameraucana's and our black sex-link) seem to go after anything that moves (flies, wasps, bees, smaller birds, even wild rabbits (the latter two not for food (I hope...

))). Those ones will, I think, eat a fly if they were only able to catch one ...

@MammaMoose: Reading your post eased my mind, because I've seen some of our chickens going after bees and wasps, and I'd been wondering the same thing about them getting stung.

 

[feathersnuggles]

I've rarely seen mine actually catching and eating a fly. They run or jump for flies, but the flies usually get away. However, my hens will eat bees. They check the grass in front of the bee hive, which has some dozen or more old or sick bees, crawling away from the hive. The hens will eat those bees. In addition, my little timid EE (lowest on the pecking order) stands directly in front of the hive entrance, her head in a cloud of bees that come and go. And she eats bees RIGHT off the entrance - including good, healthy, guard bees! I can't believe it when it I see her do that. She is afraid of everything in life, but the bees.

 

[HHandbasket]

Our pullets are prolific fly-eaters.

The 2nd or 3rd day we had our birds, the young barred rock snapped out and got a fly in mid-air, on first try, just reached out and 'SNAP', got him! My husband (Mr. FunnyMan) looked at me with the most SERIOUS look on his face and said, in a most serious tone... "Her kung fu is strong."

I laughed so hard, I think I scared my birds.

 

[YolandaT]

interesting....its on a "per-chicken" basis, it seems! I guess I'll just see how things go, and prepare for pest control as needed.

thanks so much for the responses!

 

[ChickenRasier]

I don't think my girls will eat flies. They have pooped everywhere and the are so many flies you can hear a loud and clear ''Buzz''. They don't eat the flies, but im afraid one will bite a chicken and lay eggs. Please help me slove this problem. Thanks.

 

[ChickenRasier]

I ment ''the flies might bite and lay eggs in my chicken''. Sorry.

 

[ChickenRasier]

you have a brave boy/girl there. But wont the stings hurt the chickens throat?