Chick started eating raw mouse carcass!

[mountainchickens]

Hi! Our 5.5 week old chick has been finding some of the mice that our two cats have left half-eaten. The day before yesterday we had to remove a mouse head from his beak and there's still some dried guts on his face (a little gross, I know). Yesterday he found another but we stopped him from picking it up. He only free ranges supervised, and that's the only time he can get to the mice, but I'm worried that they'll contain some sort of bacteria harmful to him. I don't think he managed to swallow any of it (I hope) but it was definitely in his beak. Should I treat him with anything?
Thanks!

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Watching ...



It’s my understanding that chickens eat mice. And rummage through compost piles. So perhaps this is fine? I don’t know, though.

 

[21hens-incharge]

You will be surprised what they eat. As long as it wasn't killed by poisons you need not worry to much.


Mine ate a squirrel.
Oh and garden snakes.

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

When I find nests in my chicken coop I pic’ them up and trhrow them to the chickens they get so happy, one time we found about 80 pinkies under a old feeder and threw them to the chickens, they went bonkers!​

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

You will be surprised what they eat. As long as it wasn't killed by poisons you need not worry to much.


Mine ate a squirrel.
Oh and garden snakes.

Mine got a ring necked snake yesterday
They also love frogs.

 

[AmyJane725]

Yeah, I wouldn't worry too much as long as the mouse was freshly dead.

 

[mountainchickens]

Okay, thank you everybody! I'm glad! Our old flock a while back (maybe five years ago?) found and ate an entire litter of baby rats once I suppose I was just wondering because of his young age and because I'm easily worried about our chicks!
Anyways, thanks again!

 

[AmyJane725]

Okay, thank you everybody! I'm glad! Our old flock a while back (maybe five years ago?) found and ate an entire litter of baby rats once I suppose I was just wondering because of his young age and because I'm easily worried about our chicks!
Anyways, thanks again!

I worry about mine endlessly as well. You're not alone.

 

[mountainchickens]

I worry about mine endlessly as well. You're not alone.

Thanks It's a little stressful with all these new babies now that their mom has weaned them. Plus the mouse-eater is a rooster and unbelievably rooster-ish at this young age, so we know we'll have to rehome him eventually. It's tough, he's a sweetie and very attached to his two girls. And one of our other hens is sick and on antibiotics. Nice to know that there are other endless chicken worriers out there though, thank you.

 

[AmyJane725]

Thanks It's a little stressful with all these new babies now that their mom has weaned them. Plus the mouse-eater is a rooster and unbelievably rooster-ish at this young age, so we know we'll have to rehome him eventually. It's tough, he's a sweetie and very attached to his two girls. And one of our other hens is sick and on antibiotics. Nice to know that there are other endless chicken worriers out there though, thank you.

Mine are on Corid right now, and my favorite "pullet" turned out to be a cockeral this morning, and to top it off I found a hair wrapped around my baby silkies toes cutting into the flesh and making it bleed. Just got finished doctoring that one.
There's endless things to stress about. Just means we love them.