OMG my chickens ATE Mice, HELP!!!!

[virgil]

The insect spray and other chemicals should not be ingested by you or any other critters.

 

[deacons]

. Woe be to any spider, bumblebee, slug, moth, or especially those large Japanese Beetles (which are a flock favorite) that find themselves in the coop or run!

I feel satisfaction on my chicken's behalf when I see her chase a moth around in a crazy zigzag around the yard, only to snap it out of mid-air for a much deserved treat!

 

[The Yakima Kid]

Snails do NOT last long around here. The girls will run under the deck and pick off the snails that are hiding on the underside.

 

[Americano Blue]

if the mouse was not poisoned it can be eaten. mine eat small frogs, mice, grass hoppers....

 

[Orpie]

Chickens eat anything I think!!! Mine have eaten mice, frogs, grasshoppers and other bugs. They are hardcore foragers!!!

 

[Epent12]

The fight with mice and rats in my property is endless ( I hope mice & rats would be gone from my property). My dad likes to hunt them with a rifle and once he use a spear made from knife & broom stick, once my dad shot a big rat and it fell to the coop near the broody hen that has been sitting on eggs, and that hen pecked the rat till the rat die

 

[Betsy57]

My Husband moved a pallet in the backyard and there was a nest of mice babies. Before we could react my chickens snatched them up and ran. I'm so grossed out but I will get over that part. My concerns, can we still eat the eggs? Will the chickens catch anything? Sorry if my question is weird but I worry a lot and have a weak stomach! Thank you!

My chickens are just as good at catching mice as my cats are! They also will catch/eat toads too and of course a wide variety of bugs. It's good protein for them and gets rid of the pests. It can be quite funny to watch them go after the mice.

 

[PoultryQueen101]

You just gotta remember that chickens are just the living descendants of the T-Rex.  Anything smaller than them and not quicker than them is fair game to be eaten by them.  

I was reading this thread, sorry, just had to put it out there. I dont believe in evolution... im a solid christian and I went a museum on it. I do know they decended from the red jungle fowl though. I believe in creatioan and adaptation to an environment, most christians dont think this way, but thats how I was taught. My church is amazing, and it isnt one of those boring services, for bible school... they toilet papered kids!

anyhows.. yeah, one time we closed most of our chickens into the run to clear out mice. One of our marans decided not to leave. A mouse decided it was a good idea to run towards her and she killed it. (Good girl lol) We also found a whole bunch of baby mice one time... little pinkie newbirns... and it was feeding day for the birds. A real treat. My dad was watching... said he wouldnt eat eggs for 2 weeks.

 

[urbanchange90]

Mine ate a little baby quail that had run into the run by mistake. It was a little sad because the parents were trying to get to it but couldn't and the chickens tore it in half and then ate it. Gruesome but a reminder of their roots

 

[brekke69]

Not necessarily smaller and slower is a meal!  As i was sitting in the run visiting my flock today (8 weeks old almost) a number came running past me to the wire all of the run, I turned and saw a decent size black flying beatle with two red spots on its back and red on the end of its antenna.  I have never seen anything like it, 6 came at different times when they saw the movement and jumped up to get it, took a look at it and went the other way! lol  They could have easily gotten it, I have seen them eat beatles.  They all said no way, I gotta admit I thought he looked scarey to!  I have tried to find it by googling different ways and I cant find anything that looks like it.  I live in Nebraska Panhandle, anyone have any idea what this thing might have been? Hard looking shell, but had wings, shiney. Red on back and end of Antenna.

Try whatsthatbug.com. I identified many insects from that site. If your girls did not eat it they probably know better, it could be toxic.