mouse catchers

[janalice]

Before I owned my first chicken , I read about a breed from pioneer days that laid eggs, was good for dinner and chased mice constantly. They lived mostly on them and free range. I would love to know the breed as I just watched a mouse run past 2 rooster and 3 hens and they never even blinked. I can't have cats because my dogs would kill them, poison is out o the question..I have 4 acres of woods and many animals to watch out for. I think a mouse catching chicken would be perfect

Does anyone know the breed?

 

[akcharlie1960]

You can see my breeds below and they all catch mice and voles.

 

[backyardmenagerie]

Dominiques! There are other breeds as well, but my Doms are great mousers, and very self sufficient. My other breeds eat so much more feed than my Doms.

 

[janalice]

thanks to both of you

getting crevecours and silkies this week..guess they'll have to wait a bit till I can order them

 

[yotetrapper]

I've always like dominiques, but this week they've become my favorite all over again. I've been letting my hens freerange this week (something I don't often do but their pen is just so muddy right now) and my dom hen is SO inquisitive. She's poking around all over the yard and is out from morning until night. Great forager!! She's made me decide that my new dominiques will be regular free-rangers.

 

[janalice]

seems to be the favorite and of course one I don't have..lol best be getting me a few..thanks to all who replied..jan

 

[Monk422]

We have 3 Americunas and a Barred Rock. They are all great mousers. Maybe your crew was just full at that moment. I didn't think ours were catching any either til one evening just before sunset I saw my Barred Rock w a tail hanging out of her mouth. Sure enough there was a little bloody mess below her and all 4 of them had blood on their beaks and I swear they were smiling at me.

 

[janalice]

that's funny..I have 2 easter chickens and assorted others..one is a large, large red rooster, 2 pretty roosters who have to catch the ladies out in the woods..lol and a bunch of wyandott's I was given as a gift along with 2 turkeys. I have 2 white chickens fron cornish that mated with the pretty rooster, a goat, 3 dogs and a duck that followed my son home from deer hunting. I have no idea what kind most of my chickens are but they all have names and many come when I call them..tweety comes in the house every morning to eat and then watches tv a while. She goes back out after an hour..the dogs love her

thank you all for responses..I am so glad I found this website. So interesting and no one thinks I'm crazy giggle..jan

 

[grandmaof5]

Buckeyes

 

[MustLoveHens]

My dh has a saying: "If it creep-ith or crawl-ith on the face of the Earth, a chicken will eat it!". My hens all moused, ate bugs, lizards, spiders, grasshoppers, wormes-you name it! The best mouser we had was an American Game Fowl hen named Muffie. She live at out feedstore and took over the mouser-cats job. The cat could not compete with her and took an early retirement from mousing. When they guys would move pallets and feed bags, if a mouse nest was found they all cried "Quick! Go get the chicken!" She was a smart one. She'd kill all the mice first and then eat them. She tried to eat a rat once but it was to big. She couldn't get it down. Ever try to chase down a choking chicken who does not want to be caught to give up her prized rat kill? Not fun for the chaser(me) but fun for all your customers in the parking lot watching the chase whioe rooting for the chasee (Muffie).
One day we had a customer listening in as my dh was telling the lastest Muffie The Mouse Slayer story. Our customer did not believe this and of cource she was buying a mouse for her sons bullfrog. She had one of those little clear plastic containers to but the mouse in. My dh told her that if she did not beilve him to hold up the mouse continer infront of Muffie. Muffie was lounging in the sun in her cage waiting to lay her egg, and the lady walked up and showed Muffie the mouse. Muffie hit the cage so hard to get the mouse, she almost toppled it. Muffie was awsome-man I miss that chicken.