[nettynoodles1]

yesterday when i was rounding my chooks up ready for bed i spotted one of thme in the hedgerow acting funny. on closer inspection she had a small live rat in her beak................ i was like OMG OMG. chased her around till she dropped it and got my poo picking scoop (for the ponies poo)! and scopped it and flung it as far as poss. ewwwww. it was dead by then lol. Has anyone else ever known a chook to eat rats??? my other question is how on earth did she catch it? I have a trap set and take my dog ratting as i do have a few about sometimes as im surrounded by  pasture/grazing land. There are alos a few cats about that go ratting for me.... do you think one of the cats could have got it first? but there was no cats about. I was so freakes I rang my hubby to tell him lol.

jeanette

[Foxy]

Possibly it may have been poisoned, when they are weak they can be seen during the day. Otherwise you may have a ratting hen!  

[nettynoodles1]

lol foxy a ratting hen is more likey than it being poisoned as not many houses round and the farmer wouldnt bother to  put poison down and i sure dont. sooner leave it the nature to kill the little beggers.

Aint it a funny old world the word poison never looks right to me always wanna spell it wrong.
 sorry must be feeling mad today lol

[Poolfield2]

I've seen one of my girls eat a mouse that the cat killed and left on the mat, chook got it before I'd got my rubber gloves on to move it. :shock:

[Aunt Sally]

Oh yes ...   They love a bit of fresh meat  :shock:

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?p=61771#61771

[Kate and her Ducks]

Now all you need to do is top train it to hunt foxes and you have SUPERHEN!!!

[nettynoodles1]

oh kate i wish it would kill the bl**dy foxes then i might get to keep more hens, gotta re stock again, down to 6 hens. got probs with birds of prey too. Been chatting to folks about setting snares for the fox or getting someone to sit with a gun n shoot them.

[GrannieAnnie]

When we lived in Essex, Brian had been cleaning the henhouse out and forgot to remove one of the feed bags full of poo and shavings.  In those days I worked in London, so I had little to do with the chooks.  Anyway, he went down one day to get it out, and loads of mice jumped out of it and the chickens caught almost everyone of them and ate them!!!!

Yuck!  But I've never known one to catch a rat!  Way to go superhen!!!!

[agapanthus]

If it moves...they'll eat it!!!!

[blulagoo]

My lad is finding that out! The cockerel seems to have it in for him when he goes out in the garden - I don't know if it is 'cos he wears shorts or what but his is not a small child but he is beginning to be a bit frightened of him.  :o

[rainie]

Nettynoodles1, what is your nearest town, I'm just outside rutland on the nothants border.  And well done to rattycatchinchicken!

[SnooziSuzi]

I remember seeing some vid footage of some chicks chasing down a mouse in a barn and eating it.. looked on youtube but can't find it but it was really funny!