Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[Fancychooklady]

Yes I could trap them, but then what?  Where am I supposed to put them? I could take them up to the bush strip up the end of the road but I'm not sure of the legalities of that.  They are considered vermin, so I don't think we are meant to be "rehoming" them on public land.  I think they need to be baited. The last thing I want is my place being a nursery for critters that move next door.....

Leads to the next question about feeders.  Has anybody used one of those treadle feeders?  Do they help with not getting little dinner guests?  

Also, I bought some bucket feeders (you know, plumbing bend in the sides where they poke their heads in to eat.  They've kicked a whole heap of dirt into the holes.  I scoop it out, but has anyone got any ideas how to stop this?  Does it matter?  They eat scattered food, so they can pick out bits from the dirt, my concern is that they'll "forget" the food is in there if they've kicked a lot of dirt in there.  Has anybody had this issue? 

Try placing a line of those 30x30 pavers under them.

 

[MyHaven]

Yes, but she got some new girls and it's been suggested that they might have brought it in, despite being quarantined, and despite seeming completely well. 

edited to add:

I went out there to shut the door to the little coop run because the girls had put themselves to bed  only to see a little mouse face looking at me from underneath the coop....  sigh.  It was a really cute little mouse.  I don't want to kill it/them, but I'm not letting them share my girls' tucker.  what to do? 

You're nuts, have I told you that before? Kill the mouse it may bring your girls a virus. Just joking about the nuts

Yes I did bring in birds one of them is the buttercup that died. It showed symptoms weeks after everyone else. I don't think it was the buttercups. Their is only one other introduced bird that has shown a symptom and that is only a sneeze. I am more suspicious of the ones not showing symptoms out of the introduced birds.

I have an ongoing battle with rats and mice and the chooks were fighting over a dead mouse about 3 or 4 weeks ago. Or whenever - a bit of a blur.

Also some weeks ago I had a very sick crow that couldn't fly hanging around the run. It wasn't that sick that I could catch it but it was very sick.

I will probably not find out. But I have decided I want a diagnosis so that I can plan for there future. So I am at the avian vet $150 to walk in the door thank you very much. But eg. I have 6 cockerels who (4 sick), if I can't re home or sell them for the table they don't warrant the suffering they are going through or the expense to treat them. I cannot keep them regardless. Then I have excess numbers as well, again, if I can not re home them as planned I have to make a decision. I have 9 babies in a brooder currently safe. If there is a chance that my birds and my decisions could adversely effect someone else's flock I would not forgive myself.

In case you missed it there is a thread on the homepage with tips on how to safely introduce birds to your flock.

FYI: I am never buying a bird again. I will only introduce eggs.

 

[MyHaven]

Not an expert and haven't had chooks very long but could you put out humane traps out so as to catch the mouse and not hurt it or the chooks? I was actually thinking of putting a few out just incase and have them in places the girls can't really get to. Where there is one there are many. Best of LUCK

And what were you going to do with the live one you catch? Just wondering.

I like to make sure they are dead before I find them. I don't like having to deal with live ones.

 

[MyHaven]

She must be nearer to the coast cause she certainly would not need them out here.

Showers here in Brisbane.

 

[MyHaven]

I'm curious though. @MyHaven how long did you quarantine them? The full six weeks?

Yep six weeks. Some because of logistics were quarantine for longer.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Yep six weeks. Some because of logistics were quarantine for longer.

And did you notice any runny noses or symptoms in that time ?

 

[MyHaven]

And did you notice any runny noses or symptoms in that time ?

Not a single thing. The newest birds, the silkies are still in quarantine. They don't have symptoms either.

I wouldn't have let them into the general population if I had noticed anything.

 

[MyHaven]

I wouldn't have thought rats were that delicate, see them more as a take over the world when we are gone cause nothing phases them kinda animal lol

Is it an icky rat or a native rat? The native rats are cute and clean but a Pia to catch if they get in your house cause they aren't fussed about eating much other than seed and grain.

I haven't seen a native rodent for years.

 

[appps]

Actually the question we should be asking is how long was it between buying the buttercup and her showing symptoms? You see people quarantining for a couple of weeks and I've often wondered how long you really should to be sure they are healthy. Six weeks I would have thought was pretty good so I'm curious how long after buying they did first get sick.

 

[Teila]

Still not finished, we are getting there though. I wonder if we will ever really be able to say that it is, I am sure we [or more likely I] will think of something