Fire ants and chickens.

[ckmjreynolds]

I came home yesterday from work and went out to check on my 7-week old chickens in the tractor. Apparently I had moved the tractor over a fire ant mound and could see from a distance a couple of chickens trashing in agony in the fire ant mound.

As I got closer I realized they were dustbathing in the fire ant mound and had dug more than half of it up. After watching them awhile I confirmed my suspicions as I watched several chickens walk over to the mound scratch and peck for the few ants that had not been eaten of left dodge.

My wife's opinion of chickens has grown immensely as she wages a genecide (organic) campaign against fire ants each year.

I wonder if they had been laying age could we have eaten eggs from a hen that had eaten a bunch of fire ants?!?

Chris

 

[gritsar]

I have some hens that like to eat fire ants, some that ignore them or give them a wide berth. Doesn't hurt the eggs.

 

[Judy]

Mine won't touch fire ants, but they ate the corn meal I put on a few mounds to see if it would kill the mound.

I hope your chickens aren't full of fire ant bites.

 

[Pinky]

My chickens won't go near fire ants. I have heard that some wild birds lay in ant beds to get rid of external parasites.

 

[AKsmama]

Mine will eat a few fire ants, then run when they feel the bites. If they can get to the larvae, however, they eat those suckers up.