Chickens & Bees

[beeman7467]

Does anyone have experience with keeping bees around chickens? We have about 20 that seem to be spending alot of time in and around the pine trees I use as a wind break for my hive. Have yet to see them eat any bees, but am pretty sure that if they decided to munch away they could decimate a hive.

[airbalancer]

We have had chickens and bees for a couple years with no problems. I have never seen one of my girls eat a bee.
Mike

[scottybee]

I have inadvertently shook some bees out in front of my chickens and they paid little attention to them. I presently keep a bomming hive 8 feet away with no problems all summer.
Scott

[This message has been edited by scottybee (edited September 18, 2003).]

[BILLY BOB]

Never had a problem with the chickens and bees growing up. We even had some turkeys to keep the yellow jackets nest away from the house, and they never bothered the honey bees ether.

BB

[honeyman46408]

I have heard on theroy that MAYBE chickens will eate the larve of SHB ??

[Michael Bush]

I've had chickens and bees for 30 years without problems. Chickens probably will eat SHB and their larvae if they get a chance, but how big of a difference it makes would depend on how long they are exposed. If they made the trip when the chickens weren't looking, the chickens wouldn't eat any.

[Ian]

They seem to pay more attention to the dead bees around the hives than the live bees fling in and out of a hive.

[beegee]

I used to keep about 2 dozen large brown-egg layers, mostly Black Sex-Links. I heard that chickens love to graze on fire ants. I'm going to get back in the chicken-biz. My yard is overrun with fire ants and those big red and black ants.

[Daisy]

Our bees and chickens live together in the same yard. Our chickens free range, never penned up.

I have two hives nestled up close to evergreens and the chickens hang out under them for protection from the sun. Narrie a problem. The two never mix.

[Andy]

I recently put a bee feeder on my picnic table in front of my house just for entertainment purposes. I've got about 75 chickens running loose in my yard. (I know,I'm fixing to put about half of them in the freezer.) Chickens frequently hang out and do chicken things on the picnic table. When the bees took over the picnic table around the feeder the chickens yielded right-of-way! haven't seen one there since. They catch every fly that they can, but I've never seen them catch a bee.I dont know if it is instinct or learned behavior. I've heard that ducks have hard times with eating bees and having their throat swell shut. Don't know I don't have ducks.

[Daisy]

This is too funny Andy. LOL

I wish my chickens would stay off the patio for the same reasons.

It's under control somewhat, I run the rooster off and then he keeps the hens away. But I still have to remind them often.