Cleaning the Coop (Mice & Traps)

[Larry Rose]

I shoveled out everything. Put Mason's sand down almost an inch thick. Rake it until it's even, then put down a smattering of Pine Shavings on top. I had a 1/4 of a bale or so left, so I reached inside for a handful to scatter around and saw a Mouse inside. Then another. I was able to dispatch one of them, but the other escaped and finally ran out the "Human Door", with two chickens in hot pursuit! I dumped the bag onto the floor. Three baby Mice fell out, and were instantly eaten by my Chickens! Yuck! I didn't know whether or not to eat the eggs from that day or not! The Dog ate most of those eggs over a period of a week! But I suppose no worse than God knows what they find to eat when free ranging!
Mice can not get in through the Chicken Door because there is no ramp. The Chickens have to "Hop" from two large wooden blocks about 8'' apart to prevent mice from entering. Their door is 12'' off the ground. The mice must have come in through the "Human Door" when I left it open one sunny day. My building sits on a large old Concrete Silo Base. It has a layer of concrete filled, concrete blocks on top with which the wooden structure is built, so it is Mouse-Proof. I will not leave the big door open anymore. But a simple "Chicken safe" mousetrap is a small cardboard box with a hole in the side of one end with a glue trap inside. I sometimes put a "Dollop" of P-Nut Butter in the middle of the glue. I caught two mice the next day. They like to crawl into small spaces along any wall, and this really works. Just dispose of it it the trash and you're done with them. Like I said, it is Chicken Safe. No Poison, no open traps, no mess. And No Mice!

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

there is probably a hole somewhere in your chicken coop. And I bet the mice are getting in thru the pop door, even though there is no ramp. Mice are incredible climbers, and jumpers.

 

[FlyWheel]

Can anything truly be "Mouse proof"? I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if one was caught onboard the ISS.

 

[Larry Rose]

My coop is concrete block for the fist 8''. Then, 2 X 6 frame construction just like your home. Then it has a 1/4'' 4 X 8 sheets of PVC on the inside and outside of that. With T-111 over that on the outside walls. Inside is 1/4'' PVC sheets with silicon-ed seams so I can wash the coop down when I need to. Right to the PVC ceiling! It is water proof! It has a low end drain in the end wall with PVC pipe to outside which is blocked when not in use with a wooden plug. It has household windows. Is built as good as anyone's home. I built it myself. There is no possible way for mice to enter through a hole in the wall. Or the chicken door. Unless they can jump at least 8''. The material is way too smooth for anything to climb on it except for insects, which are eaten upon arrival! I used around 40 tubes of caulk when I built it. It is tight! Almost too tight. This year I will build a Cupola with an automatic thermostat exhaust fan built in, and add closable soffit vents that can be shut in winter. It has double pane windows and a steel door with a very tight fit. I have sprayed it with water and none gets in. Thank You for your input. I am always open to suggestions and advice...
You would not believe how little it cost me to build this building. Go to your local lumber yard and ask if they sell "Culls". (Bent warped or discolored lumber). Same goes for roofing shingles. Buy broken bundles for half price. Check Lowe's & Home Depot if they have Closeout clearance sections. Check on Craigslist in the "Free" section. That's where I got 1,500 lbs of free 1/4'' 4 X 8 sheeting! Free Steel Door, Free Windows, Free Roofing Shingles. Cabot stain in Rusty cans for $2.00 a gallon! Who cares about the color? Mix them together and it is always Gray! Use your computer to find deals. I did. I have a (Very Nice) Coop 12' X 12' with 9' walls for around $750.00 dollars. And it is wired and insulated with plenty of natural light! I even used a brand new scratched "Kitchen Island" for a nest box, from a Cabinet shop dumpster. Just screwed it to the wall and added dividers. I bought texture 111 siding for $16.00 a sheet because they had very minor damage. I bought really damaged sheets for $9.00 and turned them upside down to use as roof sheathing! Sure beats the heck out of paying full price. ($34.95) And it beats using wafer or particle board that falls apart in a high humidity part of the country in unheated buildings. Yes, you can do it too my friends! And where I live, we can get free paint from the local County re-cycling center. They are happy to give you what you can use. Saves the County money on getting rid of it. Just don't mix oil with Latex!

 

[JurassicBawk]

Quoted from link: Another problem that many people do not account for is that mice are capable of jumping from the ground onto other surfaces. According to most professionals, mice are able to jump vertically about 13 inches onto tables, shelves or countertops. This gives them access to areas that you may have thought were out of reach.

https://pestkilled.com/can-mice-climb-walls/

 

[Larry Rose]

Can anything truly be "Mouse proof"? I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if one was caught onboard the ISS.

 

[Larry Rose]

At least I can take all precautions to make sure it is as "Mouse-Proof" as Humanly possible. I am sure they just walked through the door like I did, because I left it open one entire day. I won't do that again!

 

[aart]

Ha! Great story!
I often wonder if I'm going to find mice/nests in the shavings and straw bags!
Never have, tho found them other places.
Be glad your birds nabbed them, mine are a bit dull that way.
I just keep snap traps set all the time in the coop shed...and other mousy places, been doing it for 20 years. Keep feeds and nesting materials secure.

 

[Larry Rose]

I still like the small box with a glue trap inside. Snap Traps have two draw backs. Chickens can get stuck in one. And I have ants that eat all the p-nut butter. But if they work for you, great! I hate setting them, almost as much as I dislike removing the dead mouse. With a box, I just toss it in the Burn barrel, or trash bag. I bought a bunch of glue traps at 2 for $1.00. Cheap enough to throw away. And you can catch several at one time! Hopefully I am done with the mice getting in! I will have to make a screen door for summer, because I like to leave the big door open for cross draft.

 

[Larry Rose]

I still like the small box with a glue trap inside. Snap Traps have two draw backs. Chickens can get stuck in one. And I have ants that eat all the p-nut butter. But if they work for you, great! I hate setting them, almost as much as I dislike removing the dead mouse. With a box, I just toss it in the Burn barrel, or trash bag. I bought a bunch of glue traps at 2 for $1.00. Cheap enough to throw away. And you can catch several at one time! Hopefully I am done with the mice getting in! I will have to make a screen door for summer, because I like to leave the big door open for cross draft.