OH NO! MICE IN THE HEN HOUSE!
LAST FALL WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF CLEANING OUT THE SHED TO MAKE IT INTO A HEN HOUSE. THE GIRLS AND ROOS WERE ALREADY STAYING IN THERE WITH ALOT OF HAY AND NEST BOXES. I ALSO PUT AN ELECTRIC HEATER IN A CAGE IN THE HEN HOUSE. AS I WAS CLEANING I FOUND AN OLD METAL RIFLE BOX UNDER THE TABLE..IT WAS PARTIALLY OPEN..I HEARD A NOISE AND SOMETHING FAST AND FURRY RAN PAST ME WITH SOMETHING IN ITS MOUTH!
I SCREAMED AND MY HUSBAND LAUGHED..ITS A MOUSE..LOOKED MORE LIKE A POSSUM TO ME! I WAS PETRIFIED WITH HORROR WHEN I NOTICED SOMETHING MOVING IN THE BOX. THERE WERE SOME OLD DISHES IN THERE AND I STARTED REMOVING THEM..WHEN I MOVED THE LAST PLATE..THERE WAS A PILE OF TORN UP NEWSPAPERS AND RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT WAS FOUR ITTY BITTY BABY MICE! THEIR EYES WERE NOT OPEN YET AND THEY WERE PINK AND HAIRLESS..TOOO CUTE.
I DECIDED THAT I DID NOT WANT TO KILL THEM. ROOSTER JOHN SAID THEIR MOTHER WOULD NOT COME BACK AND TAKE CAR OF THEM..SO THEY WERE SURE TO DIE.
I DECIDED TO KEEP THEM AS PETS WE WENT TO WAL-MART AND BOUGHT AND AQUARIUM WITH A COVER, FEEDERS, BEDDING AND FOOD.
THEY WERE SO CUTE AS WE WATCHED THEM GROW HAIR AND THEIR EYES OPENED UP. ONE DAY AS I WAS FEEDING THEM ONE OF THEM BIT ME AND ESCAPED! LATER IN THE WEEK THEY CHEWED HOLES IN THE LID...I THOUGHT IT WAS SO CUTE THAT THEY WOULD COME OUT AT NIGHT AND PLAY AND THEN THEY WOULD GET BACK IN THE AQUARIUM AND WE WOULD SEE THEM SLEEPING ALL DAY..
WELL, A WEEK LATER THEY WERE NOT SO CUTE ANYMORE..THEY WERE CHEWING HOLES IN THE WALLS, FURNITURE AND APPLIANCES! THEY STARTED BUILDING NESTS UNDER FURNITURE AND IN THE COUCH! WE HAD TO DO SOMETHING! ONE MORNING I AWOKE TO FIND ALL MY BILLS THAT WERE IN THE ENTERTAINMENT CENTER..TORN TO SHREDS! JOHN MOVED THE ENTERTAINMENT CENTER AND OUT POPPED THE MAMA MOUSE AND THEIR IN THE PAPER WAS AT LEAST 12 BAY MICE! I STOOD THERE IN HORROR AS JOHN STOMPED ON THEM!
THE MICE QUICKLY OVERTOOK THE HOUSE THEY EVEN HAD HOLES CHEWED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE DOORS AND BASEBOARDS WITHIN A MONTH. SOON THEY WERE HEADING TO THE HENHOUSE..AND TO MY HORROR THERE WERE MANY IN THE HEN HOUSE..I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO..THEN ONE OF MY HENS GOT BIT IN THE LEG BY ONE!!
WE BOUGHT A DOZEN TRAPS AND CAUGHT MICE EVERY DAY FOR TWO WEEKS..BUT THEY WERE REPRODUCING SO FAST. THEN I PUT DCON UNDER MY HOUSE AND IN THE CLOSETS AND IN SMALL CAGES IN THE HEN HOUSE..WE FINALLY GOT THEM AND I LEARNED NOT TO TRY TO RAISE MICE! LOL
