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[BBCHICKS123]

If l see any singe of them being sick l will deal with that when it comes as for now whoever touchs them washes there hand very well

 

[megan chickens]

i know how hard it is!!! But i have learned the hard way mice can be cute but they are trouble!

 

[BBCHICKS123]

I know but l really can't seriously l CAN'T my mind literally won't let me

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I know but l really can't seriously l CAN'T my mind literally won't let me

It is very hard to hand raise pinkies. You may just be prolonging their death. The best thing you could have done was leave them and wait for the mother to come back. She'd been getting in and out on her own before you found them.

Others are right though because it doesn't take long to find yourself over run with mice. If you don't want to kill them, okay, but here is no reason to help an infestation occur.

 

[BBCHICKS123]

Ok l got it the mom has most likely got eaten by a chicken the last of the baby's are dead l am sure you are happy to know

 

[megan chickens]

that's so sad to hear!

 

[BobDBirdDog]

cut a hole in the side of a coffee can so mommy mouse can get back to them then cover the baby mice with a mouse trap, place the coffee can over the top of it.

 

[BBCHICKS123]

that's so sad to hear! I would have done anything to save them. I am a animal saver not killer. I trap mice in live traps and drive far away from the barn and the release them. My dad feed some baby pink mice to are chickens once and told me it as for the best so i thought it was! Mice eat their babies when they are scared or if the baby is ill. Everyone has to do what they have to do. Follow your heart and do what you think is best for you and the animals. So if you want to save mice you go on and do it! Do what your heart tells you to and what makes you feel good. Everyone makes mistakes sometime or another just learn from them. So next time you run into a problem like this you will know what to do.

thanks l really got to love these two babies and it was just hard to hear people tell me to kill them (feed them to the chickens). My dad once killed a mouse in a kill trap and l held a funeral for it and cryed for like 30 minutes l think part of it was to prove a point that humans are animals too, but part of it was just that mice don't go out and set traps to kill people and this world was there's before it was ares we just barged in and took over so when people kill things with out a good cause it breaks my heart and makes me mad.

cut a hole in the side of a coffee can so mommy mouse can get back to them then cover the baby mice with a mouse trap, place the coffee can over the top of it.

what do you mean l would still be killing mice the babies died also

 

[megan chickens]

it can be hard

 

[SunHwaKwon]

You guys are correct that people should not kill animals willy nilly and just for the heck of it. However, in situations such as this you have to be willing to look at the big picture and understand sometimes sacrifice is necessary.

1. Trying to keep the babies alive makes you feel good, but does nothing for the babies. You simply cannot provide them with the care that they need and they die a prolonged, hungry, cold death.

2. As already mentioned, by allowing a mouse infestation you are setting yourself up for the possibility of an ill flock that could become exposed to disease or injured from mice chewing on their feet. The mice also steal the eggs and eat them, but not necessarily all of the egg, which will leave rotten eggs around that will attract things like flies, which can bring more disease.

3. The presence of the mice attracts predators that like to hunt mice, which are also likely to be predators that enjoy chickens, such as foxes, weasels, owls, and so on.

Now, because you wanted to try to save one or two mice now you are battling with the situation of removing chicken-eating predators so they don't eat your toe-less chickens from your maggot infested coop. And of course you don't want to kill them, because their lives matter, so instead you trap them and transport them to another predators territory where they are left shelterless and attacked by the animal that has already claimed that territory, and in the mean time helping the transport of parasites and diseases to new areas so that perhaps then those animals in that new area can become infected.

The best thing you can do is to do what you can to prevent mice from coming around at all. Then you won't have to deal with the issue of whether to kill them or try to save and support a mouse colony. Put the feed away at night. Collect the eggs by night time. Fill any holes and gaps that let them into the coop.

Yes, a mouse's life is still worth something and is important. However, so are your chickens, and by having them you have a responsibility to provide them with a safe, disease free, and comfortable existence. I like mice, and I'm not going to go out of my way to kill or trap the ones that are in the woods near my house just because they "might" eventually make their way toward my house or coops (and the same goes for foxes and other potentially harmful animals), but I will make sure not to encourage them to take up residence near me.

ETA This forum is FULL of animal lovers. Part of loving animals is understanding how to make the decision that is best for their welfare, which is why things such as hunting still exist.