Chickabee Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 During the week a baby bird fell from my pear tree. It landed just outside my eglu. My hen Maggie dragged it through the cage and snaffled it up. Later she was free ranging, on her own as one is broody and the others bully her. Another baby bird fell right in front of her. Again it was gone very quickly. I was amazed. My children (21,20,18 and 14) were disgusted. Has anyone else seen this. I have read about them eating mice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenthelibrarian Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 Yep, hens are horrid opportunistic feeders One of mine had a mouse, which I did get back off her because I actually thought she was choking on a big chunk of woodchip, and I've seen stories of them eating mice, frogs, baby birds and even stalking little garden birds on feeders. They also scoff down broken eggs, their own and other hens', with great relish. If you think about it, a hen has to invest masses of protein in an egg which is a fair old proportion of her own body-weight, so who can blame them for grabbing any good source of nourishment, and also clearing up food that might attract threatening predators? Apparently a chicken is closer chronologically and genetically to a T-rex than a T-rex is to a Stegasaurus [if that makes sense ], or as my tutor pointed out during a short course on Evolution: 'dinosaurs are alive and well and flitting from tree to tree' Just don't tell any egg-eating vegetarians, OK? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 Yep, baby robins and baby bluetits have been enthusiastically munched. I hate the tug of war that goes with a good find! But then they are omnivores and also mice (equally gross) and frogs. Now I see they have a taste for giant slugs - at long last - YIPPEEEEEE!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
