what about feeding chickens mice out of traps?

[patandchickens]

(I debated whether this belonged here or in Predators and Pests - if I guessed wrong, apologies and hopefully a mod will move it)

What do y'all do with mice that you catch in snap-traps? Tossing one out across the snow this morning I thought "am I wasting perfectly good chicken food, here?" I mean, if the mouse was in their pen the girls would DEFINITELY try to catch it and would eat it if at all possible.

I am pretty totally positive there is no old poison bait lurking anywhere around here, for various reasons. (otherwise I would not even entertain the idea). But are there other considerations? Can a chicken choke on a mouse, or anything like that?

What do other BYCers do with dead mice from the coop?

Thanks,

Pat

 

[ibpboo]

My chickens love to peck the mice that have been caught in traps. Mine do not choke on them. I found a nest of baby gophers once when a trench was dug for new water pipes and they loved them!

 

[pips&peeps]

I would not feed it to them purposely. They can get worms, either tape or round.

If you want to be continuely worming them then it is not a problem, but I would rather not.

 

[patandchickens]

pips&peeps, can you point me to a reference for the worms thing? I've only ever seen invertebrates (insects, worms etc) named as intermediate hosts for roundworms or tapeworms of chickens. But I may be missing something...?

Thanks,

Pat

 

[pips&peeps]

I don't have any references, but I know my I had to worm my outside cat twice a year for them, and no he did not have fleas.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Your outside cat could have picked them up other ways too! Some worms all it would have had to do is walk in an infected area and then giving itself a bath would have increased the chances of worms.

 

[pips&peeps]

We were the only ones out here for quite a few years. We have ten acres that was in the middle of what used to be a wheat and oat field, the cat had around 100 acres to himself for years....

 

[texaschickmama]

Mosquitos are awful for worms.

 

[sundance]

I would never feed my chickens mice or any other meat I know some people feel their chicken are scavengers but i am very careful what i feed my ladies, they do not get any meat products of any kind but that is just my opinion. I feed them greens, bread ,BOSS,scratch, and of course laying crumbles, but that is just me,,marrie


Owned by 13 RIR.1 pitt bull, 1poodle mix 1yorkie, 1 great dane and l crabby gray cat.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

pips&peeps :

We were the only ones out here for quite a few years. We have ten acres that was in the middle of what used to be a wheat and oat field, the cat had around 100 acres to himself for years....

Worms and their cysts will survive for years in the soil.​