What did you do in the garden today?

[AleighaAcre]

@CapricornFarm I've been catching rats in the barn and tempted to throw their feed stealing little butts in the pin for the girls but worry they might have some sort of disease?

 

[Pensmaster]

Have you seen hens eat whole mice and toads? It is amazing!

Yes they certainly get excited. Years ago when I worked on a ranch I was tilling a field. The seagulls would follow me swooping down on any mice or critters that were dislodged.

 

[Pensmaster]

@CapricornFarm I've been catching rats in the barn and tempted to throw their feed stealing little bits in the pin for the girls but worry they might have some sort of disease?

Rats make excellent fly bait in the fly traps. I always check for them in traps to put into plastic jar traps for flys.

 

[AleighaAcre]

That's not a bad idea @Pensmaster . Or Maybe start a maggot dispenser..

 

[NorthTexasWink]

Eeeewwwww! And cool ideas!

 

[Pensmaster]

That's not a bad idea @Pensmaster . Or Maybe start a maggot dispenser..

Thought about it but like you I wasn't sure what kind of disease that critter or the fly carried. Not that the chickens are particularly checking for that in the field

 

[pennyJo1960]

my folks did through rats to the chickens had not thought of that in years but also was brought back memories when my birds chased each other after one killed a garter snake

 

[Pensmaster]

That's not a bad idea @Pensmaster . Or Maybe start a maggot dispenser..

And the rat is like candy to the flies. It's incredibly fast.

 

[CapricornFarm]

@CapricornFarm I've been catching rats in the barn and tempted to throw their feed stealing little bits in the pin for the girls but worry they might have some sort of disease?

I think the young are pretty safe to feed the chickens when they are the pink color, before the hair grows in. I used to feed baby mice to the chickens any time i found a nest. I wouldn't give them any bigger ones, as rats can and will bite.

 

[Pensmaster]

I think the young are pretty safe to feed the chickens when they are the pink color, before the hair grows in. I used to feed baby mice to the chickens any time i found a nest. I wouldn't give them any bigger ones, as rats can and will bite.

Maybe raise them for the chickens.