Chickens take on role of “farm cats” to sort pests in viral clip

A farm owner from Arizona shared a video of her chickens handling pest control just like cats would, and internet users can’t cope with it.

In the viral TikTok clip shared in November under the username @harmonyacresaz, the chickens can be seen gathering in the same spot as one of them catches a small mouse with its beak, then takes it away from the barn.

“Who needs farm cats for rodent control when you have chickens?” reads layover text in the clip. A caption says: “They are all little dinosaurs.”

Chickens are omnivores, and may eat mice when given the chance. They also hunt various other vermin, as well as lizards, small snakes, scorpions, worms, and bugs.

While this can help with pest control it can also be dangerous for the chickens, because rodents often carry parasites and diseases such as hantavirus, leptospirosis, tularemia and plague.

That is why it’s better to keep rodents away altogether. Removing food, water and eggs from their coop at night, and keeping the place as clean as possible is key when it comes to keeping vermin away, according to the University of California.

Trapping is an effective way to handle rodents, however, it may also hurt curious birds nearby.

Poison can be another effective method of pest control, although it becomes dangerous when a chicken accidentally consumes the substance, or the carcasses of rodents who ingested it.

The video went viral on social media and it has so far received over 261,700 views and 17,500 likes on the platform.

One user, MommaT371, commented: “Most [people] don’t know they eat mice and snakes. I always laugh when [people] cry about mice getting in their coop.”

D-Nice-79, RN said: “Chickens are barbarians. Mine killed a snake once. It stood no chance.”

Annieterhune added: “I keep finding rats ripped in half by my chickens?? Not even just dead, but mutilated.”

Kathyfar wrote: “I’ve seen mine fight over a snake and watched my duck gulp down a frog, totally freaked me out.”

Another user, Annewakeling said: “The husband used to work on a farm and the chickens really do go feral for vermin.”

Newsweek has reached out to @harmonyacresaz for comment via TikTok comments. We could not verify the details of the case.

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