the mice war has begun

[wilds of pa]

For the newbies just getting started with poultry...this is a fact

the mice war has begun..

Been setting traps for the past two weeks..took out about 12 field mice so far..

gotta keep them out of the coops as those little buggers will poo in your feeders...check your feeders and look and make sure you don't find any mice poo..

it will make your birds sick eating it because of the diseases mice carry and other rodents (plus some carry Hantavirus) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002358/ . if you do find poo get those little traps set to keep healthy birds and if you don't find any you will eventually.

make sure your traps are located were your birds cant get themselves caught in them..

every year we go through this when it gets cold out..so when Oct comes i get the victor's out and electronic traps..

I don't recommend any poison baits because if the mice or other pest eat it and die were your birds can get to them, they may eat the dead critters and get sick or die themselves.. glue boards work but not to well in cold temps..

Like they say if you got poultry your gonna have pests, esp with all the food and treats around..

victor multi Electronic traps

 

[dkosh]

Also make sure your grain is secured. They will chew holes in the grain bags to. I have a silo, but I have a lot of birds. However I keep the scratch and my lamb feed in the metal trash cans. They will and have chewed threw the plastic barrels.

 

[littleoak]

I have a small live trap (for weasels). I put four mouse traps in it and then set it anywhere in the chicken house. The chickens can't get to the traps and it is easy to place anywhere. I now use two of these setups, because I mave several small chicken houses. I usually fill the traps every day for a while then the numbers drop. Poison is no good because my chickens will eat a dead mouse.

 

[1muttsfan]

Any mice that get in with my birds when it is light out are instant chicken snacks - took my hens about 3 seconds to tear the last one up and gobble it down

 

[War Chicken]

Quote:
Interesting, a multi-catch rodent zapping trap at last.

With the Rat Zapper, you have to remove the victim each time. The only way to get more than one kill would be if the 2nd rodent pulled the body of the 1st one out and then jumped in himself:

"Hey, quit hogging the food."

"Get out of there!"

"My turn!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

[wilds of pa]

all
good advice..

war chicken good 1.... i must say i have an electric rat trap and got two mice at one time in it, i think they must have entered the large opening at the same time and both got zapped togeather.


littleoak really liked your idea of a gang trap set up like that..may try that as well..

 

[happyhens120]

I'm in Central PA, and the mice and rat war has started here also. We've NEVER had rats in our barn. Of course we've never done a winter with chickens before, either. I got 3 rats in the barn and a mouse in my kitchen this morning.

I hate those darn things!

 

[7L Farm]

I got this one the other day along with another one right next to it. Hot Wire.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

I have never done anything to get rid of mine. I see them from time to time but the chickens devour them if they catch them.

 

[wilds of pa]

nice kill with the hot wire...they cant passed the thresh hold that way..

ya you surely want to try and kill some of them off cause the Lil buggers will have babies right through winter in your coops, barns and any were they can get in..and with all the yummy food around they surely are draw to it..im sure some of are birds eat them to when they get the chance, makes a nice warm meal on a cold winter day.