My chickens just found -- and ate -- a dead bat. Should I be worried?

[johncampanelli]

What a scene. My chickens just found -- and ate -- a dead bat.

They are 11 weeks old and frisky as heck.

My RIR found a dead bat and the chase was on.

When it was over, they pecked the corpse to bits.

Should I be worried?

 

[Luke 13V34]

They can digest it, but as far as diseases, I'm not sure. If it has been decomposing for a while, they will probably have some issues. If it recently died, it depends on the cause. If it died from rabies (which 1/20 bats has), chickens do not get rabies so you are okay. Not sure about anything else.

 

[junebuggena]

They can digest it, but as far as diseases, I'm not sure. If it has been decomposing for a while, they will probably have some issues. If it recently died, it depends on the cause. If it died from rabies (which 1/20 bats has), chickens do not get rabies so you are okay. Not sure about anything else.

x2 Rabies can only be contracted by mammals. Chickens are birds. Chickens can and will eat just about anything.

 

[Luke 13V34]

If it makes you feel any better, I've seen them eat live mice, frogs, and other things like that. They are hunters/scavengers by nature (at least when it comes to small things). I think there can be issues in more sensitive breeds, but a RIR shouldn't have any issues.