[Ellex]

What can I say....I have killer chickens!
Today whilst painting the shed my son said 'mommy the chicks have just killed a bird' I thought he was joking but when I turned to look they were squabbling about something. He ran into the cage to save what was a sparrow but by then it was in 4 pieces.
The wild birds can get in through the mesh which is wider higher up-there was plenty of food available.
Is this common? Can they eat cats & babies (only joking) as I'll have to stop letting them out on an afternoon.

[Lindeggs]

Sparrows yes.  Cats & babies no!

There are a few threads around at the moment with stories of chickens eating baby birds, frogs, mice, lizards, etc.  If they can catch it and get it down their throats, they will do so!

I hadn't heard of chickens killing and eating an adult sparrow before.  Mine chase sparrows but the sparrows are just too quick.  I suppose if it got caught in a corner and couldn't get out of the mesh, the hens would have a chance.

[Aunt Sally]

Oh no, were getting short of sparrows. 

Tell them to eat blue tits, they are much more plentiful 

[Sassy]

You'd be amazed how long a frog will stretch when they are fighting over it!! Euchhhhh!!!

[evie2]

Our Huddersfield Hooligans are quite partials to the odd Starling and make a good attempt at Collar Doves, I've even seen them chase the cat if he's got something dangling from his mouth

[tosca100]

Oh no, were getting short of sparrows. 

Tell them to eat blue tits, they are much more plentiful 

Need to do a swap....we have few bluetits and masses of sparrows....and starlings.

[Andwynn]

I hadn't heard of chickens killing and eating an adult sparrow before.  Mine chase sparrows but the sparrows are just too quick.  I suppose if it got caught in a corner and couldn't get out of the mesh, the hens would have a chance.

Or perhaps it hit the mesh on the way in and stunned itself?  I swear they are just feathery veloceraptors in disguise, escaped from Jurassic Park.

[8doubles]

My hens chased sparrows when they were at the ' juvenile delinquent' stage.
They now share food, water and dust baths with them.

[Aunt Sally]

Need to do a swap....we have few bluetits and masses of sparrows....and starlings.

I'll send you some in a jiffy bag 

[tosca100]

Need to do a swap....we have few bluetits and masses of sparrows....and starlings.

I'll send you some in a jiffy bag 
[/quote
Okey dokey...we have a fresh batch of sparrows hatched in the roof!

[Chicken_Lover]

I hadn't heard of chickens killing and eating an adult sparrow before.  Mine chase sparrows but the sparrows are just too quick.  I suppose if it got caught in a corner and couldn't get out of the mesh, the hens would have a chance.

Or perhaps it hit the mesh on the way in and stunned itself?  I swear they are just feathery veloceraptors in disguise, escaped from Jurassic Park.

One we first had ours, I often remarked that our chickens looked like something off Jurassic Park,

[Kym503]

Mine have caught frogs and eaten them (yes they do stretch don't they!!).  I caught one of the girls stealing a half dead mouse from the cat the other day and then proceded to run around the lawn with the other 5 chasing her (we all sang the Benny Hill theme tune at this point). And I must confess that I threw a dead bird to them that the cat had left on the lawn..... they enjoyed it and it was a good bit of exercise as they chased each other around.  MInd you - kind of puts me off boiled eggs for breakfast the next day!

[Ellex]

A friend of mine told me his hens ganged up on a pigeon that had landed on the lawn & they killed & ate that in minutes!

[evie2]

It was a poor blackbird today, 3 of them chased it it got away

[Squiggly]

Not a thread to read if you've just eaten  :blink: mine have yet to kill something like that....worms yes they love those