bees and chickens

[Mickyboy]

Hi all
next year im thinking of adding a chicken coop in the samd area as my hives . Just wanted to know it there could bd any potential problems.
I have 3 hives and would be looking to have 2 or 3 chickens

thx

 

[Hivemaker.]

. Just wanted to know it there could bd any potential problems.

Yes there could be, the bees may kill some chickens, but low risk of this happening.

 

[enrico]

My chickens live happily with my bees. They eat the waste under the hives. They will pick the grubs out of drone comb if given to them, they love the odd queen cell!
No problems yet. They even wander round my feet when I am inspecting more feisty hives!
E

 

[bontbee]

Yes there could be, the bees may kill some chickens, but low risk of this happening.

A colleague lost one chicken last year - got stung to death - and nearly lost a second. My chickens and bees are like Enrico's - really chilled. The chooks did learn very quickly not to eat bees though, even dead ones!

They do love brood, wax moth larvae and honey - in the comb, of course.

 

[alldigging]

They do love brood, wax moth larvae and honey - in the comb, of course.

Isn't putting honey in any form in with hens likely to encourage robbing by bees - encouraging more bees into the hen area?

 

[Swarm]

Isn't putting honey in any form in with hens likely to encourage robbing by bees - encouraging more bees into the hen area?

It wouldn't last long enough to be a problem.

 

[MikeT]

My hens, peacocks and guinea fowl are in the same paddock as the hives. Have had no problems, I do not encourage the hens near the hives by feeding brood etc just in case of problems. The bees are at one end of the paddock facing away from the hen houses.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Peacocks.........sigh !!
I always wanted peacocks and now that I have room husband says no.

 

[jonnybeegood]

I thjnk the knly problem is whdn they are in a small pen & cant get away from any bees, same with tethered animals, if they are roaming free they should be ok, no guarantees in this world. I stopped keeping chucks to keep bees in their pen.

 

[Swarm]

Peacocks.........sigh !!
I always wanted peacocks and now that I have room husband says no.

After a few days of the noise I reckon they'd be fair game

 

[bontbee]

Isn't putting honey in any form in with hens likely to encourage robbing by bees - encouraging more bees into the hen area?

The honey isn't fed to the bees in their run, only when they are free ranging. Swarm is right, too, it doesn't last long. They only have small quantities but, hey, chickens are omnivores and honey doesn't seem to do them any harm at all - I imagine it would be a benefit!

Despite their bird brains, they are not dull. I didn't feed it to them in the first place - they discovered it, being their usual nosy selves, when I was bringing boxes back home - and, no, the honey wasn't for human consumption either, the combs were to be recycled. If I thought it would put the chooks - or the bees - at risk, I wouldn't do it!

 

[Erichalfbee]

After a few days of the noise I reckon they'd be fair game

No no...it's not noise

 

[Swarm]

Boom!!

 

[theeggman]

No no...it's not noise

In our past a neighbour had b****y peacocks that would strut around on our house roof and s**t every where and wake us in the middle of the night, so NO you DO NOT want peacocks except for xmas lunch.

Advertising hype over reality.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

In our past a neighbour had b****y peacocks that would strut around on our house roof and s**t every where and wake us in the middle of the night, so NO you DO NOT want peacocks except for xmas lunch.

Advertising hype over reality.

A friend of mine had peacocks. They destroyed his garden, upset the neighbours because of the racket. He got rid and swore never again!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Perhaps I could just have the stately home that goes with them

 

[wessexmario]

My hives are in the far end of the my chicken run, the hive entrances are just above the chook's head height, they scratch around the hives but don't show any interest in them or the bees.
So no problems myself, but different strains of bee and chicken may react differently, so you just have to try and see. As said, having enough space for the chooks to run away from the hive if they did get defensive would be sensible.

 

[Davelin]

I have two hives on an allotment site inside a fairly large chicken run.

No problem so far, as others chickens peck around the hives, but entrances are above chicken level.

 

[Mickyboy]

Thanks for the feedback , looks likes im gunna give it ago

thx

 

[pargyle]

Peacocks.........sigh !!
I always wanted peacocks and now that I have room husband says no.

Apparently very palatable with a plate of new potatoes and some petit pois .... the way to a mans heart may be through his stomach (or at least let him think they are being fattened for Christmas !).

My hens live next to the bees in perfect harmony ...bees not interested in the hens - hens not interested in the bees. One of my more adventurous hens occasionally even flies up and perches on the roof of my long hive ...