Are my eggs safe to eat?

[atvmudrat]

I caught my hen pecking on a dead mouse the other day. When I tried to take it from her she ran. She swallowed the mouse and started choking on it. Since the tail was hanging out of her beak, I pulled the mouse out slowly. I'm wondering if her eggs are safe to eat??? I haven't eaten a single one since she pecked that mouse. I worried it could have had rabies or some mouse disease. Ewwww!!! Thanks for any info

 

[Illia]

Chickens will eat what naturally is a part of their diet. Personally I'd worry more about my hens eating GMO corn and soy than some average mouse or something. . .

 

[CCourson05]

Mine will eat mice, frogs, lizards, snakes, and anything else that crosses their path. I eat mine and to no I'll effects...

 

[rosegal]

I would be thrilled if my chickens helped to rid my property of mice or rats! And, would have no problem eating their eggs.

 

[SunnyCalifornia]

My Delaware pullet is a better mouser than my cats!! She even got two gophers the other day!! Though she didn't eat those..

As long as you haven't been putting out rat/mouse poison, than don't worry. Its all in the food chain! Chickens are omnivores.

 

[atvmudrat]

Oh WOW - thanks for all the quick responses! I will start eating her eggs again. It just blew my mind... I had no idea they'd eat mice!

Snakes???? Can chickens kill snakes? I have been worrying about this since we killed a snake in our yard last weekend. I was afraid snakes would kill my chickens.

Awesome group of people on this site

 

[gryeyes]

Yes, they will eat small snakes, too.

I use an electronic, battery operated RatZapper for mice, which kills them instantly (not even a squeak). Then I just toss the mousie carcass out into the yard for the chickens. It's protein, and they will chase each other for it.

 

[atvmudrat]

A RatZapper? I'll have to look that up. My 4 cats usually bring mice and moles into the yard dead so my chicks will have a hard time finding a mouse on their own. Also, what is GMO corn that someone mentioned above? I give my chicks a little scratch corn when they are in the playground but not much at all. Thanks for the tips!

 

[galanie]

It grosses me out to watch mine find a toad. I don't know how they swallow the darn things! The toad's skull is like an inch across! But I eat the eggs and never have thought much about it.