Domonique eating a mouse

[Flame80]

I picked up my feeder in the coop couple days ago and a tiny "field" mouse came running out. One of my 3 year old Domonique grabbed it by the head and started running around with it. 6 white leghorns and one other Domonique franticly chased her around trying to take it from her. They actually were bighting her on her wattles trying to get her to drop it! I have never seen this done. I don't know if the mouse got away or got eaten but...how in the world would they be able to eat a mouse and is this unusual???

 

[Isadora]

If it's small enough they will just swallow it whole. Otherwise they will slap it around and try to pull off parts of it. Pretty grotesque, but yes, perfectly normal. Chickens are omnivores.

 

[CrazyChicken360]

I have seen some videos of chickens eating mice but never in person. Always surprises me.

 

[Fallenone05]

I've watched mine rip frogs apart and eat them. Baby nice are apparently very tasty too since they cleared a whole nest of pinkies out. Chickens like protein a lot and meat definitely has it.

 

[artbykarenehaley]

You have observed your own miniature version of Jurassic Park

 

[kmpcfp]

My chickens go crazy over any type of small animal. I have seen them eat mice, frogs, skinks, voles. They go into velociraptor mode.

 

[Coops Dad]

I used to put a kiddie pool under our hanging feeder and lean boards against the sides of the pool so mice could get in at night and be waiting when the chickens got up in the morning. It helped suppress the rodent issue.

 

[5 Points Wingfeather]

Mine devoured a medium sized snake once. They should be fine

 

[SilverBirds]

Perfectly normal behavior. Chickens are omnivores and will eat any small creature they can catch. I've seen my chickens catch mice, voles, moles, lizards, frogs, small snakes, baby birds and more. It can be pretty grotesque to watch since chickens like to play keep away which results in the prey getting ripped in half, then slapping whatever the it is around on the ground to break it up more, and then swallowing it whole.

 

[RoyalChick]

Yup. Remember what you saw and never, ever, ever, fall over in the chicken run.
They are savage little dinosaurs, however cute.
Mine have eaten quite big mice whole just to stop their sisters getting a bite.
Other mice get torn apart in the fight.