How do I keep mice our of the Chickens Pen???

[iadorethesea]

I keep 6 chickens in a pen that my husband made in one of the horse stalls in our barn. There is a sliding door that can be closed at night, and the rest is all fenced in. It has pine bedding on the dirt floor, and the barn is a metal building. He built roosts and nesting boxes on the wall, and it is real nice, except we are having problems with mice now that it is cold here in Kansas. Any way to cut down on their population without hurting my chickens?

 

[Wildsky]

Barn cat?

If the chickens catch those mice - your problem will be solved..... BUT I have one (at least) in my coop, seems it only comes out at night when the girls are sleeping....

 

[Katy]

Mice are one of my chickens' favorite treats! I always pity the poor dumb mouse that goes in the coop because those chickens are on him like crazy!!

 

[Chatychick]

My chickens and guineas seem to take care of the stray mice that have the nerve to show up...then they fight over it and sometimes the turkey takes it away from them...the mice will get braver and then the chickens will get them... also where there is grain there will be mice...but my chickens love it.. Where in Kansas are you located? I am in the SE corner of Kansas.

 

[Littlecimarron18]

i have a trap in my chicken house, its only got a small hole and when the mice run in to it they get flipped by a trigger into another little box.

 

[patandchickens]

to be honest I don't know of a [nonpoison] way of getting rid of winter mice in a catless horse barn that does NOT have chickens, either ;P

Given the tendency of mice around here to get stuck in tall buckets or the barn sump, I wonder if a large 'blue box' recycling type container, affixed so it could not tip over and baited after chickens go to roost w/ something fragrant like horse sweet feed or peanutbutter, might cause mice to go in, get stuck til morning, then get et by chickens (box has to be big enough for them to jump down into) when they wake in morning. Dunno.

Pat

 

[MissPrissy]

The same discussion topic took place over here yesterday.

I stand by my own choice of rodent erradication. Some people do not like it. If your chickens can catch one on the loose in their coop they will eat it. The best way to protect your flock is to not use poison.

Mouse/Rat Issues

 

[iadorethesea]

I am from McPherson Kansas to answer your question.
I guess I won't worry about the mice too much then. I have seen my chickens eat a mouse now and then. It is kinda gross, but guess thats just how the old food chain works. ha.
I won't use poison either, because I don't want my chickens eating a poisoned mouse and then dying. Thanks for all of the advice. It did help.

 

[iadorethesea]

I am from Mc Pherson Kansas
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[Chatychick]

What city are you close to? I cant find the map...Not to many people on here from Kansas. I am close to Ft. Scott..in a way. I think its 37 miles. We just drove last Sunday up to Holden to get a LGD puppy and came home with 2 ...

figures ...we got the dog because we have goats and cattle and horses. They are sweet dogs too GP/Anatolian mix. Hopefully I can find my map someday soon...Grandson probably too it...hes 2...