Taming of the shrew?

[LazytownChick]

Over the winter there's been something digging tunnels around the coop. I have a 2 ft hardware cloth apron all around the perimeter of the coop but it was able to dig itself inside even after all my efforts to block the tunnels. I thought it was mice but none of the mice traps worked, not even the peanut butter over the bucket trap. Finally my son was able to trap 2 little rodents but they're not mice. Are these shrews???

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

A better picture would be appreciated. They look more like moles to me.

 

[Jammerz]

Looks like it, but hard to tell how big they are. Either shrews or moles.

 

[Broodygranny]

I cant really see the face that well, but they could be moles. I have tons of moles that dig holes in my yard. The feet look more shrew like to me, though. What are more common in your area? I am admittedly not very familiar with shrews! They certainly look like the pictures I have seen of shrews!

 

[LazytownChick]

This is the only picture my son took before he threw them away. They were small like mice.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I have a 2 ft hardware cloth apron all around the perimeter of the coop but it was able to dig itself inside even after all my efforts to block the tunnels.

Aprons are for above ground diggers... if they aren't buried down into the ground... like I do for my freshly planted things to prevent gophers from eating the roots.

Tunnels can and will be used by many species. Here at my place they are used by gophers, rats, and moles.

Thanks for sharing, I love the learning!

 

[imnukensc]

Shrews.

 

[aart]

Would be curious to see the tunnels...and aprons.

 

[Fishkeeper]

If they were smaller than mice, you're looking at shrews. Larger, moles. Both are entirely harmless to chickens, so you don't need to kill any that come back. Both mostly eat invertebrates. The main difference, aside from size, is that shrews will also kill mice.

 

[centrarchid]

They are shrews. Front feet and over all body size too small to be moles. I do not consider them to be a pest. They will eat mice if they can catch them. One shrew appears partially eaten, they eat each other when confined. They are one of the few small critters my chickens do not like to eat.