# Chickens and Honey Bees



## RDHelton1980 (Jan 13, 2013)

I have a question may be a dumb one,but you don't till you do.I'm new to this forum and chickens I'm fenceing off my back yard the lot will be 200 ft long by 50 ft wide.Starting off with 25 chickens and two hives of honey bees.My question is will the chickens bother the bees or vice versa and is there any concern of mites the chickens will give to the bees.Hopefully someone has the same setup.Just come to thought I'm looking in into getting Australope or barred rocks.Looking for well mannered chickens and what repably place to get them from thinking of TSC.Tell me your thoughts and opinions.Thanks


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

I don't think your bees and chickens will have any problem coexisting. I'm expecting you to keep them a respectable distance from one another. I don't have personal experience with this, but those are my thoughts.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

I don't think this will be a problem. Keep them a reasonable distance from one another and you should be fine. I don't have personal experience with this. It is just my opinion.


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## RDHelton1980 (Jan 13, 2013)

There going to be in the lot with the bees.What I'm really worried about them being on the hive and aggravateing the bees and get them all disturb.


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## Pinkter (Aug 19, 2012)

I noticed bees were swarming around my feed. I read the ingredients and it contained molasses. I saw my chickens chasing them trying to eat them.


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## doubleoakfarm (Jan 1, 2013)

When we get wild bees or wasp/hornet nests our chickens eat them. I've been considering bees, but my plan was to fence in the hives to keep my ladies from gobbling them all up.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

doubleoakfarm said:


> When we get wild bees or wasp/hornet nests our chickens eat them. I've been considering bees, but my plan was to fence in the hives to keep my ladies from gobbling them all up.


 i would fence off a 10'x10' area (or maybe bigger)
& put the hives in there, yes chickens like bees ))


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## RDHelton1980 (Jan 13, 2013)

Thats looks like I'm going have to do fence my bees in a seprate lot.Back to the drawing board.


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## kaufranc (Oct 3, 2012)

Really? They like bees? Crazy birds!


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## rwilly (Nov 11, 2012)

Our chickens never bothered our hives, they were all around the hives scratching and doing their thing, I didn't see any of them going after the bees. Maybe the chickens just didn't realize they could be eating those tender morsels.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

kaufranc said:


> Really? They like bees? Crazy birds!


 they will jump up in mid air to catch a fly
they are meat eaters, any kind of meat


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

I think bugs are protein but don't qualify as meat. A small detail. Lol


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

Energyvet said:


> I think bugs are protein but don't qualify as meat. A small detail. Lol


 don't tell my chickens that


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## profwirick (Jan 24, 2013)

bees and chicks sharing garden space here now, too. please keep posting, so we can help one another figure out management as the season turns. hope someone will post who has been keeping both.


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## RDHelton1980 (Jan 13, 2013)

I will keep posting and some picture to,my bees will be here in the spring and my chicks.Hope to get started soon on the coop and fenceing evertime I get a chance to do anything the weather get bad giveing alot Ice tonite and tomorrow.


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