chooks a go go Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 I happened to look out of the window this morning to see Mimi chasing Suki around the garden making huge efforts to grab whatever it was Suki had found to eat. As I watched, I saw "it" jump when Suki dropped it and upon closer inspection when I went outside I was mortified to see it was a baby frog!! Suki kept dropping it and picking it back up and running around the garden with Mimi in hot pursuit - she seemed intent on trying to eat it but Mimi wouldn't give up, so in the end I think she dropped it somewhere at the top of the garden and went back to scratching around. My first thought was OMG poor little frog what a horrible painful death! Then secondly and more importantly - I know chickens are carnivorous but are frog's ok for them to eat?? Ewwww...it was NOT a nice thing to see first thing of a morning, I know its just nature and all that but...has anyone else experienced their chooks behaving like Rambo and going on the rampage killing things? I suppose I'd better get used to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Lots of people round here have had similar experiences with frog-eating chickens! Disgusting, but normal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chooks a go go Posted May 3, 2007 Author Share Posted May 3, 2007 Oh.....ok. I didn't really know where to look on the Forum to see if anyone else had witnessed the same thing. As you say - disgusting! But glad to know its "normal" R.I.P frog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debratugwell Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 I happened to look out of the window this morning to see Mimi chasing Suki around the garden making huge efforts to grab whatever it was Suki had found to eat. As I watched, I saw "it" jump when Suki dropped it and upon closer inspection when I went outside I was mortified to see it was a baby frog!! Suki kept dropping it and picking it back up and running around the garden with Mimi in hot pursuit - she seemed intent on trying to eat it but Mimi wouldn't give up, so in the end I think she dropped it somewhere at the top of the garden and went back to scratching around. My first thought was OMG poor little frog what a horrible painful death! Then secondly and more importantly - I know chickens are carnivorous but are frog's ok for them to eat?? Ewwww...it was NOT a nice thing to see first thing of a morning, I know its just nature and all that but...has anyone else experienced their chooks behaving like Rambo and going on the rampage killing things? I suppose I'd better get used to it. Not with a frog but mine got a slug or something similar last night and it was chaos with everyone chasing everyone else to try and get hold if it. Gross - I stayed out of the way and let them get on with it but maybe the chickens are trying to tell us something - that they prefer meat to layers pellets!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 maybe some people have french chickens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickpea Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 I caught my two gingernuts fighting over a frog, they had a leg in each beak and were having a tug of war. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george&mildred Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Crickey, we sometimes get baby frogs in our garden, hope my chickens don't take a fancy to them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Do a search for frog or mouse. Katy has caught about 2 mice and was tchased round the garden by the others. Luckily I distracted her the 2nd time, she dropped it and it ran into the veg patch, with Katy peering slightly sulkily after it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Steed Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 I know someone saw their hen swallow a mouse whole and alive a few weeks ago Charming little darlings aren't they Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chooks a go go Posted May 3, 2007 Author Share Posted May 3, 2007 glad its not just my two little horrorbags then! I didn't know whether to laugh or :vom: at some of your stories! Especially the leg in each beak scenario - arrrggghhh! - the poor frogs get a really rough ride don't they? Chickens eating slugs I can deal with - they are a menace in the garden, but I quite like frogs....as for WHOLE mice - ALIVE! That is something else (guess the chicken was hungry?? Maybe its the fowl (and definitely FOUL) version of a takeaway meal instead of the everyday stuff....?) Kind of blows away that chocolate box image of lovely cheeky chooks being all perky and comical the whole time doesn't it? They're all really Hannibal Lecter in disguise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Our girls really love slugs... the moment we open their run, they literally charge on a hunting mission all around the garden... I was calling them 'the raptors' the other day... No frogs or mouse so far though... thank goodness. Our cats are puzzled enough by the raptors, if they start catching mice the cats will pack their bags and leave!!!! It made me smile to read your stories about Suki and Mimi, as we also have a Suki trying to steal what the chooks catch... except that my Suki is my 7 year old daughter, and she tries to save the slugs out of pity for them... she owns the chickens and understands their liking of slugs,but still comes up with a 'but I like sluggy!!' from time to time, maybe from seeing me rescue countless mice from the cats!!! Anyway, nice to know all chooks seem to be raptors at heart... Love to all (humans and feathered friends) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 I think seeing Kim running around the garden with frog legs dangling out of her beak was one of the worst images I have ever seen. It took her simply ages to swallow this poor frog - at least 30 minutes! The other two stopped bothering after a while and left her to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Yummy -frogs and mice!! lol Does seeing them eat something gross like a frog or a mouse put any of you off of eating the eggs for a few days? Maybe where I haven't got mine yet I can't help thinking that whatever they eat would sort off go into the eggs in a roundabouts sort of way so is it not off-putting having froggy or micey eggs?? I have read that too much garlic powder makes the eggs tainted with garlic for a while which makes me think I don't know how I'd feel about frogs and mice being eaten. Maybe if mine eat anything too gross-I'll give those eggs to the neighbours! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 frogs legs with garlic yum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Yes, it put me off for a while! I was careful to use the eggs in cakes etc where I could break them open first and also couldn't see them at all after cooking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 I've posted before about our hens chasing (and eating!) mice. I thought our cats were fast until I saw my old girl Poppy charging after a live mouse!! Yes, it did put me off eating the eggs for a couple of days ..... I just tried not to think about it (or made my hubby scrambled egg on toast !!!!!!!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 LOL-That's a good one, making hubby scrambled egg! I'll just have to make sure that he doesn't share it with the baby! hehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 I've not witnessed any frog or mice eating here I dont think mine would though....for some reason they like small things and when they have their treats they prefer them chopped up !! Chickens with manners I have Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonesyboy27 Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Yes our girls are partial to frogs you should see the eggs jumping about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 I'm just hoping that my hens have manners too! The more I think of it, the more I feel repulsed at the thought of eating eggs that are laid by a hen who has eaten a frog or a mouse. What I don't know won't hurt me, so if I don't witness it-great, if I do I don't think I will eat the eggs for a few days. Slugs and stuff don't seem quite as gross somehow, a filthy worm infested mouse-YUK!!! Ooo, I hope my girls only eat food that's chopped up small now!! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 That feeling soon wears off Jay, trust me! I felt a bit squeamish about eating eggs after they'd been gorging on slugs. Lasted about a day then I couldn't remember which eggs to avoid anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 I hope so. Free range eggs have no doubt come from mouse/frog eating hens too, the only difference is that you don't see them eating them. Doesn't mean they don't though! Maybe I should just stop thinking about it!! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 I like to think it makes them happy hunting small animals, and the other more cuddly stuff, more natural than a cage or environment with no stimulation.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chooks a go go Posted May 6, 2007 Author Share Posted May 6, 2007 I have to confess that a for a fleeting moment I did consider that the poor little frog would indeed become part of the egg making process but I started to feel a bit queasy and had to give myself a mental slap round the head! I have also heard that too much garlic makes the eggs taste garlicky - my mum told me and I thought she was exaggerating as per usual! - not too sure about that combo either! I'm not as bad as my husband though. I was delighted at the arrival of our first egg and enthusiastically discussing how to cook and then eat it, when he said "but it came out of a chicken's bum though......" I guess it IS a bit different when the whole process is actually in your garden under your nose rather than just sitting there waiting on a supermarket shelf I do hope Suki doesn't mind sharing her name with my little feathery friend - I bet yours is better behaved than mine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chooks a go go Posted May 6, 2007 Author Share Posted May 6, 2007 Yes our girls are partial to frogs you should see the eggs jumping about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
