Mice in chicken coop

[kitty928]

Just wondering how everyone keeps mice out of the chicken coop?

 

[eggchel]

Ten easy ways to get rid of mice in the coop
1. keep a cat in the coop, however, the cat and the chickens may not like this method.
2. put away food when chickens are done eating, however, chickens are never done eating.
3. put out mouse traps with peanut butter as bait, however, chickens love peanut butter.....
4. put out poison bait. Seems chickens like that too.
5. Hmmmm, put poison bait where chickens cant eat it. No problem, they'll just eat the mice after the mice eat the poison.
6. use plug in "drives away insects and rodents as seen on tv" device, LOL, might as well have just flushed the $19,99.
7. Buy expensive battery operated Rat Zapper and have hubby stick finger inside to test it. Recycle the remains after hubby smashes it.
8. Set up a chair and wait all night with a broom to smash the little buggers when they show up.
9. Burn coop to the ground while laughing maniacally and dancing around the coop.
10. Move chickens into the spare bedroom until the new Fort Knox Coop is built.

Arrrrrrghhh! I hate mice.

chel

 

[jjthink]

That was very enjoyable Chel!


Okay, a couple of possibilities. Can you tell where they are coming in? If it is possible, plug all holes that they may be gaining access through - I read somewhere on BYC that people use steel wool to plug the holes.
Then you could use little mouse hav-a-hart traps to catch whoever is still in the coop (peanut butter one possible bait) and just release them outside, a distance from the coop if you wish. If they can no longer gain access thanks to the plugged holes, you should be okay.

Good luck!

 

[LC]

Here's a rat that I had in the trap when I came home from work today. It's the second adult I've caught ... hope I got the breeding pair.
This big one got caught in a Victor Rat Trap w/peanut butter set outside the coop.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Great news! I got the little bugger that's been eating my chicken's food and tearing up / pooping on everything in our storage van.

Of the three foods I had for him guess what he went for: the bacon!

 

[Citychick]

I read that if you put pepermint oil on the steel wool you plug the hole it helps repel them?

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

chel, that was hilarious! Were those the steps you took?

 

[kitty928]

Thanks for the laugh! (and suggestions) Glad to know Im not the only one annoyed by the buggers!!

 

[pegbo]

I've had mice in my coops and pens before but they're always dead. Yep! my girls kill them! I'm not sure if they peck them to death or use they're feet or what!

 

[SpottedCrow]

I've had a mice problem too, which DH always blames on the chickens. But doesn't mention the construction going on all around us...
I tried the glue traps which worked until Obelisk pecked at the Captain Crunch which I used for bait, then stepped in the trap...so it was click, thud, click, thud, bikbikbik!
I now have a mouse Zapper which I only paid $20 for at WallyWorld. I also have a plethora of snap traps and so far I haven't caught a chicken yet either, thankfully. Peanut butter works really really well.