Feeding wild mice to hens?

[Chris Liszewski]

Hi folks,

I have a question regarding feeding wild mice. I understand that chickens do eat mice and while doing some yard work I noticed we have quite the mouse population. It seems they are stealing layer pellets right out of the feeder at night or when the chickens have gone into another part of the run and their population has gone exponential. I set out a home made live trap and have been so far catching 3-4 per day. I carefully and quickly crush their head and dispose of them which seems like the most humane way as opposed to drowning or spring traps. I offered one to the hens just to see and sure enough it was a frenzy. It seems as though active mouse control from this point on will be an ongoing measure and I am wondering about the safety of regularly feeding freshly killed mice to my hens. Sorry, we're not getting a cat!

 

[PD-Riverman]

They will be fine. You might need to remove/raise your feeders at night so you are not feeding the rats as well as making the chickens clean up any spilt food before they get more. Good Luck

 

[Kiki]

I personally wouldn't ever feed them, but that it just me. I have seen many people who do feed mice, not sure if they have any problems. What you should probably also do is remove all feed at night. Don't give them something to eat freely...them as in the mice.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

My orphingtons were great mousers ! They were fast when it came to catching mice. Better then my cats.
Once I actually seen my cat catch a mouse and feed it to the chickens ! Chicken came back for more.

 

[Chris Liszewski]

I personally wouldn't ever feed them, but that it just me. I have seen many people who do feed mice, not sure if they have any problems. What you should probably also do is remove all feed at night. Don't give them something to eat freely...them as in the mice.

Is there any particular reason why you wouldn't feed them? Is it just the gross factor or the potential danger of parasites, injury, or disease?

 

[Kiki]

Is there any particular reason why you wouldn't feed them? Is it just the gross factor or the potential danger of parasites, injury, or disease?

The gross factor. I've never even looked into the diseases they carry...I'd rather just not know.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

cause her a girly girl.

 

[Leighe]

Some of my chickens eat them but any that I catch, I kill and toss in the field. "Rodents will not only eat chicken feed and contaminate it with their droppings, they can carry fleas, ticks, mites and lice, will kill baby chicks, eat eggs, chew wires and wood, even chew on sleeping chickens' feet and pull out their feathers." I put my chicken feed bowls in metal garbage cans every night. I'm going to be switching to fermented feed so the "pellets and crumbles" won't be left out on the ground for the mice. However, I have seen mice eating the chicken food during the day. My poor feral cats try to get them but I have kennels and hardware cloth and those little buggars are fast. The cats get a few but my electronic (battery operated) trap, my sticky pads I stick under my metal garbage cans because they like to hide under there, get a whole lot more. Hard to keep them away completely because my chickens free range and the door to the pen and coop are open all day. Have had friends over at night and we have used our 22's and sling shots to help curb the mice population, lol

 

[Kiki]

cause her a girly girl.

Who just ran screaming from some yesterday..was it!??

 

[Granny Hatchet]

Who just ran screaming from some yesterday..was it!??

I did. But it wasnt a few, it was an infestation !