Horrible ant story

[granmahen]

Went out to check on chicks last week and they were crowded into a corner peeping with terror. They had been invaded by ants who were carrying their food away. Luckily their coop is truck style and we moved it and then doused the whole area with de. It took a few days but ants are gone. Chicks love new area, there is grass. Happy ending. I'll never watch THEM again.

 

[Mrs.Puff]

OOHHH! I remember THEM. Scary!

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

Oh - Poor chicks!!!

Don't they eat ants? Or do you have super-sized ants where you live?

 

[b.hromada]

Hope they didn't bite the babies! Poor little things.

 

[granmahen]

Everyone is fine now, they actually like their new spot better. I d.e. weekly now (got lazy for a while) and no, for some reason my chickens don't eat ants (well, I've never seen them) and they don't seem to eat flies either. But I rarely have roly-polys and cockroaches any more.

 

[Squeaky]

They may learn to eat ants if you have one ant-eating bird. No bird can stand to see another member of the flock eating something new, without giving it a try.

I've got several ant-eating chickens but (sigh!) they won't go after flies. They do keep the ants away from their coop and run. Mine have destroyed anthills: it becomes a feeding frenzy for the birds. I do believe they actually dig out and eat the queen. Now, if only I could get them to do it in the garden and around the house! But when I take them into the garden the birds attack the vegetables instead. That experiment didn't work too well. I never saw an onion or a corn plant disappear so quickly.

Do your birds eat out of your hand? I can get mine to try anything just by holding it in my hand.

 

[Cajunsamoan]

I was afraid to open this. I have seen fire ants do horrible things to live animals. I'm so glad the ants were just taking the food. Poor babies! I wouldn't like ant in my food either.