Rat-catching hen

[cwaterbury]

Yesterday, while only a few feet away from me, one if my hens pounced and grabbed a young rat from the grass in broad daylight. The other hens wanted to "share" and quite a ruckus ensued. By the time I wrangled the rat away, it was dead, so I buried it. Had I not intervened, I'm sure they would have torn it apart and eaten it. I have never heard of chickens doing this sort of thing. Is this common, or as bizarre as it seemed to me at the time? If they had eaten it, would it have been harmful? And then I had a very unsettling rat dream last night...

 

[flgardengirl]

Yes chickens will chase and eat mice, rats, small snakes, lizards, frogs, toads, big roaches (yayy lol) whatever they can get. Its not a problem unless someone like a neighbor has left out rat poison or something and the rodents have eaten it, then the chickens eat the rodents.

 

[TwoChicksChix]

Yeah, chickens are omnivore. In fact they’ll eat other chickens if they could.

I’d just double check if neighbors have used any type of poison or pesticide to see if it’s dangerous for the chickens to be hunting them. But otherwise, nah it’s fine they enjoy the treat and extra protein

 

[maddog7]

Very Kool. Let the chickens have the rat. Hopefully other rats are watching and will flee your property

 

[Folly's place]

Make sure that your coop is rat proof! At night your birds are helpless and rats will kill them. And, if you see one, you have MANY!
You may need to set out poison bait stations, if you are finding rat 'sign' or tunnels there.
Mary