breeding mice for muscovies?

[Ducklove334]

does anyone think this would be overly cruel?

people breed mice for snakes, but "snakes are capitive, and need to eat"

with Summer at it's start, Squeaks and Rosilee my two muscovies have found a new dusk hobby, catching, and eating mice!, wich they love.

the other day while it was still light out enough to see, Rosilee managed to hunt down, and eat 4 or 5 young mice. Squeaks managed to get one, the lumbering oaf that he is.

anyways, thats what -I- was thinking of doing, I used to breed mice as pets, and I LOVE them, but I've never been overly found of agouti(the wild color) mice, though agouti babies are cute, IF you handled them, our nieghbors use i live-trap to catch mice that live under their stove,and let them go in the woods, i've bred wild mouse hybrids before, the babies ALWAYS take on the behaviors of the wild parent, so i wasn't fond of them

i was thinking of having a small group of wild mice, or wild/domestic hybrids to raise up babies as muscovy treats, most likely fed live, because I wouldn't have the heart to kill them, just toss and walk away.

that way I could also easily feed mice without having to worry about wild parasites or desease.

thought, opinions?

I havn't made up my mind yet, but it's just a thought, and since I don't free-range, if the other ducks wanted in, it'd give them something to do because they don't get goldfish like they used to.

 

[waibel zoo]

Me personally, would not do it because of the smell of the mice. But morally for me, mice are food and if you breed them as food then have at it. Offer to take your neighbors mice and release them to your ducks.

 

[Dances with Ducks]

Guess it's no crueler than what I do - which is eat chicken for dinner! Why shouldn't they enjoy the kind of food nature intended for them?

 

[Ducklove334]

Quote:
I was thinking more along the lines of using wild mice bred into domestics, so I wouldn't get as attached, LOL. I have told them I'd take mice they catch, or I may borrow their live trap and start trying to trap the BIG buck mouse I see in the metal shed all the time.

the mouse smell never bothered me, and I kept atleast 8 bucks at a time, they're the real stinkers.

though I am allergic to rodent urine...break out if I get peed on LOL.

the mice would be kept, most likely in the feed room in an aqaurium, fed and watered when they needed it, new bedding, and that be it, as far as attention, if they were in the house, I'd be too tempted to play with the babies...wich would deplete the purpose haha.

 

[ya chick ya]

i never new ducks liked mice hmm is it just a certain breed cuz mine mallard,rouen,black and white magpie and none seem to B intersted in anything not even bread all they wanna eat is their regular food and drink bout' a ton of water a day

 

[AHappychick]

wow I had no idea that ducks ate mice, I say go for it since the wild ones could be carrying a disease, but first make sure it is good and safe for them to be eaten by ducks (ie digesting the bones and fur and such) cause it would be horrible if they got impacted or something, also can the mice injure the ducks or are they too small, cause thats why most people knock the mice/rats out before feeding to snakes, they bite and scratch I believe.

very interested to follow this thread.

 

[poultrykeeper08]

My muscovies love mice and will even take babie chicks from the moms when they arent looking !!

I think it would be a good idea , The ducks would love the snack !

 

[Kansaseq]

My chickens love to eat mice if they can catch them, or I accidentally slam the coop door on one

. I say go for it.