My hens (12 each) ate Amdro fire ant bait/poison.....

[Healthy Hens]

Knowing my wife is allergic to fire ants, without even thinking about our chickens, I placed Amdro fire ant bait on several ant beds. That evening I noticed the chickens eating where I had placed the poison. I have been told that the chickens nor the eggs can ever be eaten again. Is that true, does anyone know this for a fact? We are not concerned with eating the chickens....just the eggs? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!!!!!!

 

[BYCforlife]

I don't know much about poison, and I'm not going to give you any suggestions to be safe. Good luck finding someone to help!

 

[BYCforlife]

But, I wlll reccomend that you put chicken wire or hardware mesh over the ant hills after putting poison on them, to keep the chickens away.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi @Healthy Hens Welcome To BYC

Contact your vet and Amdro to find how this poison will affect your flock and the eggs they produce.

Hope all goes well for you.

 

[BYCforlife]

Hi @Healthy Hens Welcome To BYC

Contact your vet and Amdro to find how this poison will affect your flock and the eggs they produce.

Hope all goes well for you.

Hello! I am trying to find help for this person. Could you possibly check this thread out?

Thanks!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/sick-chicken-with-large-crop-constantly-vomiting.1195930/

 

[pennyJo1960]

Amdro is a trade name for a hydramethylnon-based hydrazone insecticide, commonly used in the southern United States for fire ant control. Amdro was patented in 1978 by the American Cyanamid company, now Ambrands, and was conditionally approved for use by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in August, 1980. It is a delayed-toxicity food chain killer, in which soldier ants carry the bait into the mound and feed it to the queen, killing her and decimating the mound. Amdro uses a corn grit and soybean oil base, and must be used within three months after opening to be effective. Amdro has several drawbacks: (1) when it rains, or the bait is moisturized, Amdro loses its effectiveness entirely; (2) insecticide baits tend to be slow working, and take up to a month to be effective; and (3) Amdro cannot be used on food crops.


let me read a bit more to be sure

 

[pennyJo1960]

Introduction: Hydramethylnon is a trifluoromethyl aminohydrazone insecticide used in baits to control fire ants, leafcutter ants, and cockroaches in both indoor and outdoor applications. It is available in a ready-to-use bait formulation. The data presented here refer to the technical product unless otherwise stated.

Formulation: It is available in a ready-to-use bait formulation.

Toxicological Effects:

• Acute toxicity: Hydramethylnon is slightly toxic via ingestion, with reported oral LD50 valus of 1100 to 1300 mg/kg in rats [1]. It is also slightly toxic by skin exposure, with a dermal LD50 in rabbits of greater than 5000 mg/kg [1]. The reported 4-hour inhalation LC50 for hydramethylnon is greater than 5 mg/L, indicating slight toxicity by this route as well [1]. It is not reported to cause skin sensitization in guinea pigs nor skin irritation in rabbits [8]. It may, however, be an eye irritant in rabbits [1]. Acute exposure in humans may result in irritation of the eyes and mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.
• Chronic toxicity: In a 26-week study in male and female dogs, doses of up to 3.0 mg/kg/day resulted in increased liver wieghts and increased liver:body weight ratios. No other effects were observable in either the structure of tissues examined, the chemistry and consistency of the blood, or the chemistry of other bodily fluids [13]. A 2-year study in rats showed decreased food consumption and organ weight changes at 5.0 mg/kg/day, but not at 2.5. mg/kg/day [13]. Similar effects were seen in rats over 90 days at the same doses [13]. In dogs, 6 mg/kg/day caused decreased food consumption and body weight gain over a 90-day period [13]. In an 18-month cancer assay, hydramethylnon at about 3.8 mg/kg/day was associated with amyloidosis, a syndrome in which abnormal protein deposition in the kidney fitration unit (glomerulus) results in damage [13].
• Reproductive effects: Doses of 6 mg/kg/day caused testicular atrophy in dogs in a 90-day feeding study [13]. In rats, this effect was also observed at doses of approximately 5 mg/kg/day over the same time frame [13]. Testicular lesions were seen in mice at doses of approximately 3.8 mg/kg/day over 18 months. Male infertility, probably attributable to testicular effects, was seen in a three-generation rat study at 5 mg/kg/day [13]. The available data suggest that reproductive effects are unlikely in humans at expected exposure levels.
• Teratogenic effects: Maternal body weight gain was reduced in rats at 10 mg/kg/day, but not at 3 mg/kg/day in a teratology study [13]. In the same study, maternal doses of 30 mg/kg/day were required to produce decreased fetal weights [13]. In another study of potential birth defects in rabbits, reduced fetal weight gain was also noted, but at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day [13]. It was not clear whether the decrements in fetal weight were severe enough to result in reduced survival rate. The available data suggest that teratogenic effects are unlikely in humans at expected exposure levels.
• Mutagenic effects: Not Available
• Carcinogenic effects: In an 18-month tumor assay in mice, no increases in tumor rates were reported at doses of up to 3.8 mg/kg/day [13]. The data regarding carcinogenic effects are insufficient, but suggest that hydramethylnon is not carcinogenic.
• Organ toxicity: Chronic studies in several animals have shown the testis as a target organ.
• Fate in humans and animals: In rats, following oral administration, hydramethylnon was rapidly eliminated in the feces and urine [8]. No residues were detectable in the milk or tissues of goats at a dietary dose of 0.2 ppm in the daily diet for 8 days [8]. No residues were found in the milk or tissues of cows at a dietary dose of 0.05 ppm for 21 consecutive days [1].

Ecological Effects:

• Effects on birds: The oral LD50 for hydramethylnon in mallard ducks is greater than 2510 mg/kg, and in bobwhite quail is 1828 mg/kg, indicating that the compound is practically nontoxic to these species [8].
  
  
  

 

[pennyJo1960]

possibly given a week or two there would be no other affect or residue on or in the eggs

 

[HenPennySC]

I'm very interested in this question. My chickens and geese free range my yard in day and are shut in barn at night. Fire ants are a major problem here in South Carolina. I just hate the things. Have been afraid to use AMDRO where flock grazes. Locking them up for 24 hrs. poses a problem.
Another question? ? Where have the BOB WHITE QUAILS gone??..