Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

Regarding rats, mice etc, showing up dead without a mark on them, of course the first thought is rat poison. However, I have had a few dogs with high prey drive that would catch rats and squirrels. If they caught a squirrel that they dropped because I told them to, it would usually run into the bushes to hide. I would fish them out to take to.the local wildlife rescue. They always looked unharmed, no blood or puncture wounds. Of four squirrels and one baby possum, all but one squirrel died anyway. Dogs apply crushing pressure, and if not killed outright, the animal will run off and hide, dying later. It's quite possible that this was what happened. Cats can't apply crushing pressure, but I am quite sure that Mimi killed that rat. It may have not appeared quite dead when she let go, but was very likely bleeding internally from deep punctures from four needle sharp canines applied multiple times to its chest cavity. Sometimes nature is painfully slow and cruel. Cats do have a harder time with rats, but they can kill them. They can kill squirrels too. Depends on the cat. Some tax for the gruesome details. The girls enjoying some chard.
 

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Regarding rats, mice etc, showing up dead without a mark on them, of course the first thought is rat poison. However, I have had a few dogs with high prey drive that would catch rats and squirrels. If they caught a squirrel that they dropped because I told them to, it would usually run into the bushes to hide. I would fish them out to take to.the local wildlife rescue. They always looked unharmed, no blood or puncture wounds. Of four squirrels and one baby possum, all but one squirrel died anyway. Dogs apply crushing pressure, and if not killed outright, the animal will run off and hide, dying later. It's quite possible that this was what happened. Cats can't apply crushing pressure, but I am quite sure that Mimi killed that rat. It may have not appeared quite dead when she let go, but was very likely bleeding internally from deep punctures from four needle sharp canines applied multiple times to its chest cavity. Sometimes nature is painfully slow and cruel. Cats do have a harder time with rats, but they can kill them. They can kill squirrels too. Depends on the cat. Some tax for the gruesome details. The girls enjoying some chard.
One of my current ferals caught a young squirrel. I took it away and it seemed okay, but died shortly afterwards.
 
Tax payment that I’d much rather not be making.

Today one of the senior hens in the Tsouloufati group was dead in the nest box. Seemingly fine last night. Haven’t had a nest box death since having a group full of ISA browns. She sleeps in the nest boxes, so I’m not convinced it’s reproductive health-related.
View attachment 4082452
She wasn’t a particularly old hen, nearing 5, if I’m not mistaken. Thankfully (if there’s something to be thankful for in this situation), she wasn’t not head hen, so her loss in not completely devastating to the group, or KolovosView attachment 4082457A few throwback photos of her; she was not one to enjoy the spotlight, both from people and other birds
I am so sorry! She was a lovely lady!
 
Tax payment that I’d much rather not be making.

Today one of the senior hens in the Tsouloufati group was dead in the nest box. Seemingly fine last night. Haven’t had a nest box death since having a group full of ISA browns. She sleeps in the nest boxes, so I’m not convinced it’s reproductive health-related.
View attachment 4082452
She wasn’t a particularly old hen, nearing 5, if I’m not mistaken. Thankfully (if there’s something to be thankful for in this situation), she wasn’t not head hen, so her loss in not completely devastating to the group, or KolovosView attachment 4082457A few throwback photos of her; she was not one to enjoy the spotlight, both from people and other birds
:hugs :hugs :hugs
 
Regarding rats, mice etc, showing up dead without a mark on them, of course the first thought is rat poison. However, I have had a few dogs with high prey drive that would catch rats and squirrels. If they caught a squirrel that they dropped because I told them to, it would usually run into the bushes to hide. I would fish them out to take to.the local wildlife rescue. They always looked unharmed, no blood or puncture wounds. Of four squirrels and one baby possum, all but one squirrel died anyway. Dogs apply crushing pressure, and if not killed outright, the animal will run off and hide, dying later. It's quite possible that this was what happened. Cats can't apply crushing pressure, but I am quite sure that Mimi killed that rat. It may have not appeared quite dead when she let go, but was very likely bleeding internally from deep punctures from four needle sharp canines applied multiple times to its chest cavity. Sometimes nature is painfully slow and cruel. Cats do have a harder time with rats, but they can kill them. They can kill squirrels too. Depends on the cat. Some tax for the gruesome details. The girls enjoying some chard.
I had a cat who went in for strangling squirrels. It was not really a typica cat approach but was gruesomely effective. I suspect she could have killed a rat but don't think there were any around.
 

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