My Lily Caught A Mouse 😱

[Tami2]

My Cream Legbar, Lily caught a mouse. I noticed because of the chase. I knew she had something. I ran out & sure enough it was an adult field mouse. I intervened, because I read and most likely here. That a chicken got a mouse and because of the chase she swallowed it whole and died.
I hope I did the right thing?

 

[SmiYa0126]

Chickens are great mousers, they hunt them. No harm for them to eat them.

 

[SilverBirds]

Chickens are tiny dinosaurs and will eat anything they can catch. My chickens have caught and eaten plenty of mice as will as frogs/toads, lizards, snakes, baby birds, etc. without issues.

If you or neighbors use poisons for rice/mats then the chickens shouldn't eat them. If a chicken eats a poisoned mouse it can make them very sick.

 

[LateBirdFarms]

I had a BCM who was an absolute monster when it came to hunting and tearing mice and juvenile rats to bits. I was told they can carry a good parasite load but try telling a chicken that! I never had anything small and swallowable be able to move through the yard without one of my girls trying to catch and eat it, but I've never had an issue.

As @SilverBirds said, do be cautious if you know someone is using a poison for pest control!

 

[gimmie birdies]

This morning I opened the feed box, and a baby mouse was inside I could not get out because the walls were steep. I let the hens out, knowing they could catch and eat that mouse, or the mouse would get away. Later I saw the wlesummer eating the mouse.

 

[Tami2]

WOW, I was so concerned about her swallowing the entire mouse. I never even considered, poisoned or parasitic mice..... YIKES!

Thanks so much everyone. I am glad I was able to get it away from her. I've read that they eat anything they can caught. I wasn't overly concerned about her eating it. It was swallowing it whole. And now there's the other concerns as well. I have no idea if my neighbors put poison down. I do know that most of them use lawn chemicals. Which makes me crazy.

 

[ashcons]

[...] It was swallowing it whole. [...]

Wasn't she trying to beat it into mouse pâté first?

Whenever mine catch something whether it's a strawberry or a critter, they worry it to pieces while softening it up. Happy birthday to the ground!

 

[Tami2]

No, when I saw what was happening, she was just being chased by everyone.

 

[Vickischics]

No, when I saw what was happening, she was just being chased by everyone.

Good for you Lily!

 

[Auntiejessi3]

WOW, I was so concerned about her swallowing the entire mouse. I never even considered, poisoned or parasitic mice..... YIKES!

Thanks so much everyone. I am glad I was able to get it away from her. I've read that they eat anything they can caught. I wasn't overly concerned about her eating it. It was swallowing it whole. And now there's the other concerns as well. I have no idea if my neighbors put poison down. I do know that most of them use lawn chemicals. Which makes me crazy.

If she couldn't swallow it whole, she'd beat it on the ground and eat chunks at a time, lol