Does anyone else have mice in their coop?

[ND Sue]

Do you have mice in your coops? I did for the first time this year and I just about couldn't stand it! I was so creeped out and having a hard time going in there! I'm in the North, so we have to shut our coops up all winter and feed in there. I would open the door in the am, and the feeders would have mice in there eating before they would run off. They got so fat, they didn't run real fast. Ick!

Here is how I got rid of them. It worked out for me that one of our barn cats "volunteered" (ok, I threw her in there) to spend her nights in the coop and now she has it cleared out, but she likes sleeping in there, so she continues to go there every night when I shut the coops up for the night.

The chickens don't seem to mind her being there, either. I have a mix and my little silkies are in the part where the cat likes to be most. She doesn't bother the chickens at all. I really noticed a difference in feed, I'm buying much less and so now I am scared to know how many must have been there! Ugh, gives me the willys just to think about it! lol

Anyway, just wondering how common this is to have a coop cat? It sure works well for me and I wish I had known of it sooner! The cat really appreciated being in a warmer bed than in the barn last winter!

 

[flowergirl60]

I haven't had mice in my coop.

But I love the coop cat. That is just sweet.

 

[sheila3935]

Ive got mice right now but no cat. Have 4 dogs and DH allergic. Am afraid to use poison, so I heard you can repel them with peppermint oil. So today I put it on cotton balls shoved down in the holes and up above the ceiling. Hope it works. At least the coop smells minty fresh.

 

[airmechreed]

I have had mice around the coup, never in. I use a trap called the Never miss mouse trap...works great. Uses little rubber bands and fires them around their necks and then they leave the trap with a cool neon green necklace and die away from the trap so there is no mess to deal with like squashed heads and such. I bought mine at Big R and they are pet safe....well maybe not for snakes, but for common dogs and cats there are no broken paws and for small children if they get their hand in it. you just pull off the rubber band. It will cut off blood circulation on a finger but it is not painful, both my boys have tested it lol.....anyway I believe there is a link on BYC for it some where. I don't know if you should trust the cat I wouldn't trust mine. But you know your cat. Anyway I don't have problems with mice and if I do they are dead the next morning.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

I have a few mice, but also have 3 Kingsnakes living in the barn. My wife won't feed anymore without turning on every light & inspecting every square inch. I keep telling her that the snakes won't hurt her, but she still thinks that she may not make it out of the feedroom alive.

 

[Duramaxgirl]

I had 2 this winter... ugh! They we're nesting along the wall beside the nest boxes. I still don't know how they did it compleatly vertical. Any how when we found them DH and a shovel was all I needed

your kitty is soooo cute! My cat would eat my smaller chickens though I think. A coop cat is so cool though!

 

[Duramaxgirl]

Quote:
Oh wow I'm so glad I live in north Idaho! I so could not do the snakes!

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

I look at them more as MOUSETRAPS

 

[jenkassai]

Interesting that the cat does not bother the chickens. Is it due to the size of the chickens? We're going to be starting our coop shortly and while I hope it is "mouse proof" I know those little buggers have a way of getting into just about wherever they want! The cat I have now is indoors and would probably be terrified of a mouse OR a chicken!

 

[ND Sue]

Yes, I think I'll stick with the cat! I agree with your wife, a snake isn't much of an improvement over mice in my book either! lol

No, none of our barn cats have ever bothered the chickens. The chickens have never been afraid of them either. Our neighbors have chickens right in the barn along with the cats, ducks, horses, donkeys, etc and don't have any problems with the cats. I don't think I have ever heard of a cat killing a chicken. Come to think of it, she lets her hens hatch out babies and they are just loose around the barn and yard and I don't think the hens let the cats even think about it.

I have adult chickens and wouldn't trust a cat in with chicks of course, but the silkies are very small and they don't bother them at all. But the silkies are bossy little toughies and they boss around the standard chickens.

I think as long as you feed the cats besides eating mice? I don't know! They just aren't interested in chickens as food. I did catch one hen trying to take a mouse from the cat once. That was kind of gross. And before the cat was living there, one of my hens is a mouser... but she didn't do it often enough to keep up with them!

When we built the coop, we even put the hardware cloth under the floor, so nothing could scratch it's way in. And then the mice found a way in the walls from the outside apparently!

I have never heard of the Never miss mouse trap. I may have to do some reading on that! Thanks.

Duramaxgirl, you've heard the saying for every one mouse you see, there are hundreds more you can't see? I think that's true! You better get a coop cat! lol