Unusual Meal!!!

[avroncotton]

My Girls free range and I usually go and give them the kitchen scraps after lunch. On the way out today I saw one of our hens comes running out of the chook-shed with something in its beak. On closer inspection I find it to be a dead mouse! After thrashing it about a bit; the bird then starts to swallow the whole thing- head first. I thought she may choke but after a few neck spasms all that was left was back legs and the tail. She looked at me triumphantly and then the tail slid down too.

I was amazed!

Tony

Australia

 

[karri25]

I've never had anything like that happen but...mine did attack and eat a baby/small bird one morning. By the time I got out there all that was left was a bit of it's wings :0(

 

[Zenbirder]

Mine love mice, they eat them often. There are big running games of keep-away first.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

eeeeeeek!

 

[greyfields]

Chickens are ominvores. They do eat meat. Ever thrown some meal worms in with your birds?

However, I do buy certified vegetarian chicken feed. It's good marketing becuase I can say that my chickens have never eaten chicken, which creeps me out.

 

[6chix]

My girls love frogs and snakes. One day I thought one of the girls had grown a mustache. It was a 18"snake hanging out of her beak!

 

[nccountrygirl]

My girls love frog, crickets and any other thing that DH can catch flying around to feed them.

 

[LindaN]

Today I gave my "best girl" Maisy a katydid I found last night. There was a bit of a game of keep away afterwards, but she did get to eat it all herself.

On Saturday, I gave her a big spider I found while cleaning up some piles of twigs, as well as a bunch of slugs and worms that turned up near the bottom of the pile.

I'm afraid this is spoiling her 'cause now she seems to refuse anything except insects from me. (Well, I guess raisins are still an exception). I tried to give her some just picked raspberries a few minutes ago, but she didn't want them. The others gobbled them down, but she just kept wandering up to me making her raucous, demanding noise.

I guess I have spoiled her.

 

[rosyposyosy]

you should consider yourself lucky. today i saw mine gulf down dog poop!

 

[FrankBlissett]

Oy! Our cats bring mice for the chickens! Well, at least they drop them in the drive way and the chickens know where to look.

The most unusual I've ever seen was a hen (Brahma, but not too big for a Brahma) who had a squirrel tail that the cats had left. I grabbed for it and she jumped away. Before I could go for it again she made sure to gulp it all down. I'm talking a big, fluffy grey squirrel tail here.

-Frank