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Gross things that chickens eat!

post #1 of 8
5/17/12 at 7:12am
Thread Starter 

Anyone else able to watch while their chicken catches and kills things to eat them?

 

I was moving some large flowerbed stones around the other day and one of my pet EE hens (follows me around like my shadow) quickly jumped on the small snake I uncovered (12" long brown head snake) and began to flip, shake and peck it at lightening fast speed.  I had to back off out of the way for fear of losing a finger or toe from standing too close.  Even one of the dogs came over to see what was going on.  As the snake became more and more bloody, I had to walk away - and I have a strong stomach for gross things, too.  Not this time!  My dog sat right next to the chicken and watched the whole process that took about 10 minutes. The bird ended up eating the head and I discarded the rest.

 

It was amazing but incredibly disgusting at the same time!  sickbyc.gif

~ Always living to the eggstream! ~
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~ Always living to the eggstream! ~
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post #2 of 8
5/17/12 at 8:02am

I've seen my girls violently attack insects and then - they're gone! So quick. 

 

I have a lot of little grass snakes during the summer and I worry about the chickens eating them all....the snakes help keep down  the shrews and field mice....I haven't seen the girls with anything other than bugs - yet....

 

I recently relocated a compost barrel and oh my! The chickens were all over that bare spot - the roos were clucking and pointing and the girls were pecking and running after each other lol.png Fun stuff!

North Central TX native, serving my country in the USAF. I have a small flock of registered Barbados Blackbelly Sheep.

Working on a small flock of quality Salmon Favorelles, 4 French Marans :-D

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North Central TX native, serving my country in the USAF. I have a small flock of registered Barbados Blackbelly Sheep.

Working on a small flock of quality Salmon Favorelles, 4 French Marans :-D

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post #3 of 8
5/17/12 at 8:08am

I give mine the moles that the cats bring in the house.  Sometimes there's a game of chase and shred, and sometimes it just gets swallowed whole by the lucky girl who gets there first.

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post #4 of 8
5/19/12 at 6:47am

Your kitties like you! love.gif Once in a while I see one of the girls running for dear life in the pasture (from the others) and I have to wonder what she found that they want! Run, girl, run!

 

I keep saying I'm going to farm some mealworms to supplement their diets, especially for the long, cool season...

North Central TX native, serving my country in the USAF. I have a small flock of registered Barbados Blackbelly Sheep.

Working on a small flock of quality Salmon Favorelles, 4 French Marans :-D

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North Central TX native, serving my country in the USAF. I have a small flock of registered Barbados Blackbelly Sheep.

Working on a small flock of quality Salmon Favorelles, 4 French Marans :-D

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post #5 of 8
5/21/12 at 1:41pm
Thread Starter 

One of the most brutal things I've see is my pack of guineas (I say pack because they run together like one when hunting) catch and try to eat a frog that is WAY TO BIG for any of them.  Talk about trying to enjoy breakfast in the morning with that going on right outside the window!  EEEWW!

~ Always living to the eggstream! ~
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~ Always living to the eggstream! ~
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post #6 of 8
5/21/12 at 2:16pm

@Chicky-dees your post made me laugh out loud.  I haven't seen my girls get anything like that but I am hoping that they will catch a chipmunk, I have way too many of them!

Mom to 2 kids, 2 cats, 1 fish, and 11 girls (Haley - banty, Nutmeg - Buff Orp, Teddy - Red sex link, Bella - Tetra Tint, Pepper, Salt and Dot - Dominiques, Summer - Welsummer, Cheeky and Muffin - EE, Freckles - Speckled Sussex) And the wife of one very wonderful husband who puts up with me and my chickens!

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Mom to 2 kids, 2 cats, 1 fish, and 11 girls (Haley - banty, Nutmeg - Buff Orp, Teddy - Red sex link, Bella - Tetra Tint, Pepper, Salt and Dot - Dominiques, Summer - Welsummer, Cheeky and Muffin - EE, Freckles - Speckled Sussex) And the wife of one very wonderful husband who puts up with me and my chickens!

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post #7 of 8
5/21/12 at 2:23pm

Chickens like mice too ! We had a nest of mice under our coop, and when we moved it, a mouse ran out. Those chickens saw it before we did and attacked it with fury ! Then they proceeded to tear it apart and eat it ! Yuck !! I was a little worried what the next days eggs were going to taste like --- just kidding !!

Wife, of a very loving husband, mother of 8 wonderful children, flock manager of 35 chickens slw, blrw, ameraucana, coronation sussex, and several barnyard mixes. 3 miniature horses, 2 registered St. Bernards .

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Wife, of a very loving husband, mother of 8 wonderful children, flock manager of 35 chickens slw, blrw, ameraucana, coronation sussex, and several barnyard mixes. 3 miniature horses, 2 registered St. Bernards .

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post #8 of 8
5/21/12 at 3:12pm

Mine have become experts at using spring fledging time to get a few extra sparrow snacks.  I find stripped skeletons several times a year in my yard.  Weird chickens.

"It's easy. You draw a red line on the ground, right? Then you wait for a chicken to come along. When he arrives, he puts his beak right on the line and he's hypnotized!"
Joey Santiago
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"It's easy. You draw a red line on the ground, right? Then you wait for a chicken to come along. When he arrives, he puts his beak right on the line and he's hypnotized!"
Joey Santiago
Reply
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