NatalieC Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 This morning my girls (Ramona, the culprit) killed a mouse in their run! I have never seen anything like it, my OH was watching them while he made the tea and I could hear him shouting (and laughing hysterically) that Ramona had just chased, caught and killed a mouse! I didn't know chickens were good mousers - its usually our cats (in particular, Dandy with his jaws of death!). It took me ages to get the thing off her as she was running round the run, hotly pursued by the other girls and eventually I had to resort to bribing her with treats before she dropped it! I've got some photos (only because I didn't think anyone would believe it!) which I'll post later! They obviously think they need a bit of extra protein in their diet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 Its all quite normal - chickens are omnivores. The odd bit of animal/reptile protein (eg mouse, vole, shrew, frog, toad, slow-worm) is great as far as they're concerned. I particularly like the moment when you see the tail of the poor unfortunate creature disappearing down their beak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 Ah yes, I remember the shock of the first mouse murder I witnessed They now try voles, frogs, mice etc etc. The best thing is when one has the kill and then the others want it, there has been many a Benny Hill style chase around the garden. In fact, one such time was when I had a few Omleteers around I tend to leave them get on with it and eat them It makes me proud that they still have their dinosaur instincts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky1 Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 They now try voles, frogs, mice etc etc. The best thing is when one has the kill and then the others want it, there has been many a Benny Hill style chase around the garden. Ours too Space Chick And the squeals the little frog makes with 5 or 6 of our delicate gals pecking at him until one runs off with a leg hanging from her beak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clootie Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 I watched my black cochin Cilla throw a mouse up in the air a few times before swallowing it whole, I just saw the tail hanging out of her beak! I stood open mouthed at the kitchen window watching the whole thing. Since then, they've had frogs, shrews and all sorts but they have to run away from the rest of the gang fast as they all want a share! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatalieC Posted July 28, 2010 Author Share Posted July 28, 2010 Oh good, I feel a bit better now! I had heard that they are quite happy to supplement their diets with a bit of fresh meat but hadn't seen it for myself before. They've chased off a good few squirrels but perhaps they're a bit too big for them to eat in one go! I think Ramona would have eaten it but was more concerned with hanging onto it to stop the other girls getting it - as it was I had to give the thing a burial at sea (in the brook at the end of the garden)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneyolktoanother Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 i had the same happen to me i nearly fainted daisy had it in her beak and the others were in hot pursuit!! i took it off her and kept heaving all night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 Yep, mine too. You can hear them smack their lips - er I mean beaks afterwards. I'm sure if they had hands they'd rub their tummy's too. It's the little birds that looks gross, hard to see what they used to be after the tug of war. So far Tung, who lives under the back door step and has lots of little escape routes under the patio, has evaded capture. She's soooo sweeeeeet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meganymoo Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 Our cockeral did that once but he was soooooo confused he just left it for us to find! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 Space Chick's OH managed to catch it on camera - I remember that one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennydavies Posted July 29, 2010 Share Posted July 29, 2010 Ours happily kill and devour mice and birds I had a tug-of-war with Blanche for a headless mouse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millie-Annie Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 I had a search to find this as I wasn't sure what to do yesterday. Marigold met me with a dead mouse dangling from her beak. I was shouting drop it and she was frantically trying to swallow it whole, like snakes do. I wasn't sure what would happen if she did as it looked so huge going down her neck. I threw some pasta and she coughed it back up to eat the pasta, but kept a beady eye on it. Every time I tried to scoop it, she would pick it back up and run off again. Wait for me to move back, then carefully put it back down beside her pasta, until I tried to get it again. Finally I threw some pasta away from her and she ran and for a split second forgot her mouse. I shoved a bucket over it and scooped it up that way. I have no idea how long it had been dead. Would she have been alright swallowing it whole and what would happen to the eggs? The very thought of that makes me heave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennydavies Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 I don't think it would affect the eggs, to be quite honest they eat all sorts of bugs and creepy crawlies and loads of worms so.....ours catch great big grasshoppers and swallow them whole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 One of my girls performed a snake like swallow on a whole mouse earlier this week She is still with us so presume it doesn't do them any harm at all! (Made sure there was plenty of grit available though to mince it all up ) Oh and we had a Benny Hill style chase going on too - highly entertaining! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daxigirl Posted September 5, 2010 Share Posted September 5, 2010 I had trouble believing all the stories of chooks eating mice and frogs but I've just witnessed Paxo kill a mouse , charge around the garden with it clamped in her beak, still managing to sqwark loudly with delight, the other 3 in hot persuit (Benny Hill style ), she hid behind the green house to shake the others off and swallowed it whole. (I did manage to capture it on my phone but alas don't know how to get pictures from it to here!). Who needs a cat, I won't worry so much now about the bits of leftovers in the run at bedtime. Look out frogs too, it's not just me and the lawnmower anymore. Good job the wormer comes tomorrow. Wonder if all that protein will make her lay her first egg? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helen1962 Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 It just shows how close birds (particularly chickens) are related to the lizard. I must admit when I first got my hens, I did notice very lizard like characteristics in them, my daughter has lizards and some of their actions are really not that different. I do feel hens know better than us what is good for them so I never worry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raina Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 Ewww lol Mind, one of my Hens ate a newt once (Can't remember who ate it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 Loki-cat used to bring mice and Daisy would take them off him to eat them - I'm not entirely sure they were always dead at that point, though they definitely were after the game of mousey-tug-of-war with the others. Last week Lady (who's a little thug and very wrongly named) ran round the garden squawking with a small bird in her beak, starting the usual Benny Hill chase, and then ate it . Little cannibal! They always look so very proud of themselves when they've been doing something truly disgusting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaches Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 Glad I'm now prepared for this eventuality .... I was in shock when one of them successfully chased and ate a giant wood wasp - the first giant wood wasp I've ever seen in my life in fact. I was surpised how fast chickens can move for a bit of protein! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissPug+Chooks Posted September 8, 2010 Share Posted September 8, 2010 Our two girls caught a sparrow whilst free ranging and were playing tug of war with the poor thing with a wing each - they literally pulled the sparrow apart - luckily I didn't witness this; my OH did - the evidence was there though little sparrow legs were left on the floor - guess they don't like feet?! Gross! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
