My chickens eat mice alive?

[MadMonkeyOne]

we had a mouse plage here and are chickens were going crazy catching all the mice (who needs a cat) they swallow them whole head first and sometimes I have to rush out there and pull it from its mouth cause it's to big but they just try to snatch it out my hand again. I know their tummy acid is pretty strong but will it kill any infections the mouse may carry? And is their throat ment to swallow such big things?
Thx bye

 

[7L Farm]

Thats funny because yesterday I was cleaning under & lifted up a peice of corrugated tin & found a whole litter of mice I called my chickens over & they had mice a la carte. They snatched em up one by one. I wouldn't worry they eat god knows what if they free range. Extra protein & you get rid of them.

 

[MadMonkeyOne]

Lucky chickens! Thx for the reply. A bit of meat I guess can't be bad for em. I love my chickens and i go outside randomly just to hug one (I'm 13) but ever since they started eating mice I've thort differently.
Thx again!

 

[1muttsfan]

My chickens love mice, probably think of them as big bugs. Just make sure you never pass out in the chicken pen, who knows what they may think of next.

 

[mandelyn]

I didn't even know I had mice in the coop for the longest time, they only come out when the birds are sleeping. I went out after dark to check on some new girls, and saw a couple mice scatter when I opened the door.

Thought about several ways to trap them, and ended up taking the cheap wooden traps and putting them inside shoe boxes with 2 holes cut into the box. I've caught 12 in 4 days. Who knew I was feeding the whole mouse population in the neighborhood? They've been there awhile, judging by the various ages I'm catching.

Mice will also cannabalize each other. That was a shocking thing to find in a shoe box one morning.

If you try the box trap method, be sure to secure the lid with tape, or use a plastic shoe box sized tote with a secure lid. Makes it totally chicken proof, and non-toxic. I set them right near the food, baited with peanut butter.

 

[featherfooted]

My chickens love mice. They had a deal with our english setter that she could come mouse in the coop if she would share the kills. Lady just wanted to have the fun of the hunt and the chickens got a treat. Lady passed away in June of old age (she was 15) and the chickens and I miss her. Mouse football was always so funny to watch.

 

[janinepeters]

My chickens eat any small animal they can get - mice, toads, frogs. Great source of protein.

 

[Chicks Galore3]

I didn't even know I had mice in the coop for the longest time, they only come out when the birds are sleeping. I went out after dark to check on some new girls, and saw a couple mice scatter when I opened the door.

Thought about several ways to trap them, and ended up taking the cheap wooden traps and putting them inside shoe boxes with 2 holes cut into the box. I've caught 12 in 4 days. Who knew I was feeding the whole mouse population in the neighborhood? They've been there awhile, judging by the various ages I'm catching.

Mice will also cannabalize each other. That was a shocking thing to find in a shoe box one morning.

If you try the box trap method, be sure to secure the lid with tape, or use a plastic shoe box sized tote with a secure lid. Makes it totally chicken proof, and non-toxic. I set them right near the food, baited with peanut butter.

This is very helpful, as I found a couple mice the other day. Dad is picking up traps today, and i wasn't quite sure how to trap the mice and NOT the chickens.

 

[MadMonkeyOne]

I might try the box trap. The problem is one of r chickens is a bit smarter then the rest. She will destroy that box as soon as I set it. But u never know.
Thx heaps for the Replys

 

[MadMonkeyOne]

All the mice are in the shed and when ever they hear the door open the rush over its funny