[caroline17]

My chicken Morag was found running with a mouse in her mouth last year-we thought perhaps it was already dead before she "played" with it like a rugby ball, and worried about the potential of disease transmission or indeed poison.However, tonight I found her with another one almost still warm with its face mashed in with either a congenitally small tail or chopped one. I have put both free rangers back in their run tonight and will dispose of the little fellow.Nature can be brutal but has anyone experienced this behaviour in chickens before?.

[GrannieAnnie]

Oh Yes! lol  when we lived in our last house, my brian had left a bag of used shavings in the chicken shed for a few days, when he lifted it out, the bottom fell off and all these mice ran around.  The chickens rushed in and caught the lot!

Nobody said they are vegetarians!   

[Aunt Sally]

OH,,,, YES.

Mine are very partial to frogs 

[richyrich7]

Me too, they can vicious little devils.

I saw one of mine eating a fish once !

My cat had dropped it as he walked over their run lol he was not happy but not daft enough to go in after it

[8doubles]

From a distance i saw my light sussex grab something from under a pallet and give it several swift pecks so i had a closer look just as the mouse was swallowed whole.

A few owl genes maybe.

[themagicaltoad1]

From a distance i saw my light sussex grab something from under a pallet and give it several swift pecks so i had a closer look just as the mouse was swallowed whole.

A few owl genes maybe.

It's the velocoraptor genes! that's what they are the descendents of.

[New shoot]

Mine will go for anything unlucky enough to cross their path as well.  They have caught mice, frogs, tadpoles - usually ending up in the pond during the process 

I've seen them cat baiting as well.  They stand next to the wire of their run, wait for the neighbours cat to come close enough, then peck it through the wire     

[pigeonpie]

One of my friends is a little scared of my chickens as she thinks they look evil!  She complains that they stare at her with their beady eyes.  I better not let her read all these posts as I'm trying to persuade her that they're lovely characters not killers!!! 

[mumofstig]

Think Jurassic park and the raptors 

[pigeonpie]

I like the fact that chickens have attitudes!  It's probably just as well they catch mice as mine keep chasing the neighbourhood cats off!

[tiptopchickendon]

OH,,,, YES.

Mine are very partial to frogs 

Mine too.

Betty The Bitza found one yesterday evening, then spent the next half hour running around the garden with it in her beak, with others following her... looked like they were re-enacting a sketch from the Benny Hill show...

[mole trapper]

This is why free range tastes soooo good  ours follow us around on the lawn mower after the mice that get disturbed in the garden! (used to be a field)  Most people would be put off, but surely its part of the reason they have such sharp beeks

[rarebirds]

Been trying to teach my chooks to catch a mouse i have in my bird room but so far no luck It's been 2 months so far 

[Nails]

Mine chooks catch the rats as well as my cats do!!!!!!

[otis pony]

My girls have had frogs and mice and more recently a toad that lived under our slabs by the outside taps, my eldest daughter has now decided she hates chickens, and cries everytime they catch something.  I can't look and just leave them to it