No day old chicks for tarantulas
01-12-2023
In the wild, tarantulas often eat large insects or small reptiles. So they are quite capable of digesting animal food. In principle, day-old chicks could also be suitable for this purpose. However, feeding day-old chicks to a tarantula may involve risks. These risks are related to pesticides that can be used in the laying poultry sector. A common parasite in this sector is the bird mite, also known as blood lice. Blood lice are a danger to humans and animals because they can transmit diseases but can also lead to weakening of the animal. To control blood lice, pesticides containing permethrin as an active ingredient can be used in the laying hen industry. Permethrin affects the parasite's nervous system, causing the parasite to die.
Mites, like ticks, belong to the class of arachnids. They are thus related to the spider and have a similar body structure. This means that the nervous system of the (bird) spider is also affected when it comes into contact with permethrin.
Our day-old chicks come from different hatcheries. The hatcheries themselves usually do not use blood lice control. However, it cannot be guaranteed that the hens have never been treated with it. Especially the first eggs laid by a mother animal may therefore contain a small dose of permethrin. In this way, it is therefore also possible that the first chicks may have a small dose of permethrin in them. For the chicks, this poses no danger, but for a tarantula that subsequently eats the chicks, it can pose a great risk. We therefore strongly advise against feeding day-old chicks to your tarantula.
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