Feeding wild mice to hens?

[Kiki]

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

Girly girl my butt!

 

[Granny Hatchet]

Girly girl my butt!

hahaa I aint been back either !

 

[Ursuline Chick]

When we had a rooster he would spike rats and mice and feed them to his hens. Then hens would chase him or a hen who had the rodent all over the yard. It was really funny to watch.

 

[Chickassan]

I don't feed them mice,but they do catch and eat them without my help. I'm not a mouse lover but I can't watch them eat them either. I go inside and have some coffee pretend I'm don't know what's going on out there.

 

[ChicketySplit]

I'm not sure if I would feed or encourage my chickens to eat mice, unless I was out of feed & there was no other option. Rodents carry fleas, ticks, & were responsible for a few plagues throughout history, so if I could avoid it, I would.

I too have no cats ( tho' in the rural area we do have bobcats, racoons, etc.), but my coop is well off the ground (up on a concrete pad, with solid walls and garage door seal around all openings, so little chance of the nasty little critters getting in.

 

[centrarchid]

Mine consume mice infrequently. Most consumed are immature mice where consumer is adult, usually a hen. The roosters may capture mouse but usually offer it up to someone else. Yesterday I had a half grown chicken of barley 2 lbs working on a large male mouse. Mouse had to be dismembered prior to ingestion which took a lot of time and effort. One of my American Dominique consumed seven 1/4 mice in rapid succession. Her crop was obviously distended with what she consumed. I do not know how that compares to eating other animal prey like insects that I know are quality eats.

 

[aart]

Pests carried by mice will not likely infest birds, different species of pests.
I feed mice from snap traps, less than 24 hours old.
Don't get many any more due to traps being set constantly.
I would not feed too many/much....of anything.

 

[fat marans]

I think a tip on my scratch feed bag says "Keep rodents/wild birds away from food, they may carry disease". Remember that some parasites are generalists, so I would not risk it.

 

[biophiliac]

I love this image [not mine]. Could the birds get tapeworm from mice?

 

[ShrekDawg]

There was a mouse outside the run a few days ago, partially or mostly eaten, the hens found it and snatched it up. One hen had it first, everyone was chasing her, then another found it and they were chasing her too. Initially I too was trying to catch her and take it, mostly just cause I didnt know what it was at first. Anyway, I gave up and gave the others some fruit and she ate it. I was nervous about potential disease and not knowing who or what caught it but she was fine. There was also some sort of vole or something in the front yard the previous day. Maybe a cat or something was hanging around? Ours has not been outside recently. I don't know who caught it. But yeah, she ate it and was fine.

I am thinking of setting traps too, bucket traps, we have mice in our garage I think