Bees and Poultry

[HomeBru]

We're adding bees to our menagerie next year and I just had a thought: Do I need to worry about having the bees close to the chickens and turkeys? Will the birds eat too many bees and/or will the bees cause problems for the birds? Anyone raising birds and bees next to each other? (There's a joke in there somewhere, I know! :-D)

J-

[bassman1977]

There are a lot of people raising various birds as well as bees on the same property.  I'm sure they will be on to tell you their success story soon.

Welcome to the forums.  Might want to update your location as people will ask about that eventually.

[danno]

I have free range chickens and bees and they all get along great.  I have never had the chickens pester the hives and have never heard a chicken squalking from a sting.  Although I know the chicken eat alot of bugs they dont even take notice when they walk by a hive

[randydrivesabus]

i agree with Danno...i have chickens and guineas and geese and none of them seem interested in bees. and vice versa.

[Frantz]

You will have no problems with chickens and bees together. I am currenlty working on a business model called "Backyard Bees and Clucks" that will put a small hive and a few girls laying in "Every Backyard in America" HAHAHA!!!! :evil:
I have put both together for a while. Even drinking out of the same water, never any problem. I lost quite a few hives last year and even fed the dead bees to my chickens and quail in the spring. Nice little protien jolt for the birds.
Love to hear about your set up.
F

[poka-bee]

My chickens don't bother the bees.  One would think they would as they are into EVERYTHING!! They follow me all over & stand by when working the bees but never try to catch or eat any.  Maybe one did & got stung one time so they know?  I can't even get em to eat the dead ones... My koi don't eat em either, the lilies will be covered in bees as is the green gook at the edges of the pond but the koi ignore them & never found a dead koi.  Frantz, that's my goal....!! Brendhan needs chix to go with his bees.. :evil:

[WhipCityBeeMan]

I have bees and chickens too.  No problems.  Well, I shouldn't say that.  I have problems with raccoons and fisher cats eating my chickens and varroa mites, nosema, starvation, tracheal mites, robbing and so forth with the bees. 

I shouldn't say no problems.

What I meant was no problems with the chickens or bees bothering each other. 

[1of6]

"Sounds like one fellar over on BeeSource would beg to differ..."

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=222576