# Chickens eating frogs



## Genevie (Jan 29, 2010)

One of my laying hens (the favorite of course, a 3yo Barred Rock) is acting a little dopey. This week the frogs started their migration from the pond and the chickens were pacing around nearby to catch them. The frogs are not really poisonous (Pacific tree frogs, hyla regilla) but I think "Lucille" ate one too many and has a gut ache. Any suggestions for what I could give her to help or should I just wait it out. She will eat and drink if I bring it to her but otherwise is just sitting in the coop acting slow and sleepy.

Thanks in advance.


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

have you checked to see if anything else is wrong with her? swolen abdomen, hard abdomen, anything? eating frogs shouldnt cause them to act this way. is her crop impacted?


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Yeah, I'd check that crop, too.

My ducks and chickens and guineas are Frog Feasting here, and no one has shown any ill effects.

Hope your gal gets better soon.


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## Genevie (Jan 29, 2010)

Crop is fine, mostly empty and no sign of impaction (her frog binge was two days ago). Abdomen normal, no sign of being egg bound, bloated or having water belly. She does has some off color droppings, not runny just kind of creamy yellow. 

I'm fairly certain it is related to the frogs. The pond is really far from the coop and only the older hens that know of the yearly frog feast make the trek. The other frog-eaters (about 5-6 hens) look a little off too; kind of dopey and sleepy looking, blinking really slow but still going about their day they just act a little off. Lucille is just the worst of the bunch. The 50ish other hens that stick close to the fields/coop are acting just fine. 

Before I married and moved out to my husband's ranch they had lost chickens and cats to over-indulgence in the frogs. A couple is probably fine to eat but 50-60 may be too many. The chickens eat them as fast as they can until their crop is full then they go sleep in the bushes a few hours until the next course and on and on all day until they start acting too dopey and stagger home. Was just curious if there was something I could give her that might help clear out any toxins. Oh well, it's her own fault the little rascal. Hope she gets better. Thanks!


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

if it is poison then you can try activated charcole. good to have in grit anyway.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

They do seem to be mildly poisonous. I'd make a charcoal slurry and put it down the hens.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

I have learned something new today. Thank you - but I'm sorry for your hens.

Just tossing this out as a weird possibility: Could they have picked up a parasite from the pond water? I have a friend who got giarrdia from rafting in a river.


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## Genevie (Jan 29, 2010)

I hadn't even thought of a parasite from the water which is silly because in a prior job I monitored malformed amphibian populations due to parasite infection. Thanks for throwing that out there Pony.

I think most of the hens will be fine, two seem to be coming out of their stupor this evening and the family says it only lasts a few days if they don't eat too many. I'll keep ya posted.


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