Is it normal for chickens to eat little critters?

[Moochie]

(please see my other post in the emergenicies, diseases, and cures thread. it has to do with this)


My chickens have been eating the occasional mouse that tries to steal their feed. During the summer they catch and eat lizards. I've never had a problem with it, since the eggs taste better around the times they eat the critters. But now one of my girls ate a whole entire mouse (except for the pelt) and she is having bloody poop (see other post in emergencies, diseases, and cures thread).
Do your chickens do this? Why are mine eating little critters? The mouse they eat are small field mice, not the average Petsmart mouse. Small little grey brown things.
I don't think they are lacking proteing in their diet. I feed them scratch, feed, various veggies and fruits, yogurt, worms, nightcrawlers, and dried mealworms.

 

[jerseygirl1]

Yup

Pure protein

Snakes, mice, mine have found theoccasional bird, liszards, etc.
They are not lacking anything, they see them as a food source

 

[sourland]

Yes, if it moves and is smaller than them, they will give it a try. Think tiny velociraptors. Chickens are omnivores, but protein is high on their list of preferred food items.

 

[Imp]

But now one of my girls ate a whole entire mouse (except for the pelt)

Moochie,

Are you saying your chickens skinned it first?

If so what kind of miracle chickens do you have?

Do they have opposable thumbs?

Imp

BTW- I saw your other thread, and hope your chicken is OK.​

 

[Toi-toi]

That happened to my chickens, too.
One day I saw one of my chickens was throwing some dark ball up in the air like cats play.
I went to see and it was mouse....
I had hard time to take it from her.
I hope your chicken is OK.

 

[sharol]

My cat catches mice and leaves them EVERYWHERE. My chickens ignore them completely, but if one is still alive, watch out. chicken soccer.

 

[Moochie]

Quote:
Moochie,

Are you saying your chickens skinned it first?

If so what kind of miracle chickens do you have?

Do they have opposable thumbs?

Imp

BTW- I saw your other thread, and hope your chicken is OK.

i dont what she did i guess she ripped it open somehow

 

[fiberart57]

Remember, according to paleontologist Jack Horner, chickens are genetically identical to dinosaurs except for one or two chromosomes. What's a chromosome or two anyway.

One day my kitten was playing with a kangaroo mouse that got away and hopped through the velociraptors (the girls). As each one of them picked it up, it would squeak, then it got dropped. It finally got to safety behind a fence for which I was grateful for having no wish to witness the blood bath. But they were definitely interested in the wee moosie.

Then I gave the girls some grass fed ground beef as their reward. They are molting anyway and Very Crabby about it.

Mary

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

My birds will eat anything that looks like protein. I foolishly trained them to eat grasshoppers from my hand so now it is dangerous to approach them with anything that looks like food.

I wonder when my birds will learn to pick apart their food. I have already had trouble with one them trying to choke himself . When I put out leftovers today I was careful not to repeat my mistake.

 

[woodmort]

They'll eat big critters too if they can get someone to cut them into small enough pieces. When we BBQ ribs we toss the "used" ribs to them, the bones disappear--I'll feed them leftovers from a whole rack of ribs and find, maybe, a single bone or two. Like someone said, don't fall down in the midst of your flock.