How to control the mice population within the barn?

[donrae]

What are those squirrels eating? Are the mice eating the same thing?

You could put some type of chicken wire over the top of a bucket trap, or otherwise locate it where chickens can't access it.

But I think the fact you want to get rid of mice but keep squirrels may be the crux of your problem. Both those critters thrive under the same conditions and I'm not sure you can eradicate one and keep the other.

 

[aart]

Yes I was relocating them. I don't kill anything. I go with the "live and let live".
I will try restricting the feed to daylight hours this time and see if that helps along with more live traps
Thank you !!

Where were you relocating them to....how far away?

 

[Folly's place]

Relocating mice nearby will get them back home very fast, and relocating far away is a death sentence, much slower and less humane than those fast kill traps, or a couple of good 'barn cats'. Mary

 

[lazy gardener]

Lyn, you have an issue. IMO it's more of an issue than just mice. As other posters have stated, squirrels thrive under the same conditions. And if a squirrel stashes feed, the mice will help themselves. It's like having a 7-11 on every street corner. And if there are mice and squirrels, you can bet there are rats. Old barns are open invitations. And those critters do more than drive up your feed bill. They are disease vectors, and a good infestation will damage your poultry as well, and damage any wiring. You can choose the no kill route, but if so, you'll never have the problem under control. Metal feed cans are definitely the way to go. Plastic can too easily be chewed through. Especially by rats and squirrels. As far as only feeding during the day, a lot of chickens bill feed out into the bedding. And mice are very resourceful at getting into feeders. In the past, you were seeing them during the day. One other thing you can do with feed to help deter rodents is to ferment it. It will be the consistency of cooked oatmeal. While the mice can still come and fill up at the feeder, they can't as readily carry it off to their hidey places. FF also helps your flock more readily absorb the nutrients in it. I wish you the luck with this problem.

 

[bobbi-j]

"The biggest problem with mice is that they have multiple litters each year. One male and female mouse can produce up to 40 babies in one year. Multiply that by the fact that each litter will start producing babies as well within the year and you can see how quickly a couple of mice can get out of control. In just that first year those original mice can product up to 139. In one year, a pair of little house mice could produce thousands and thousands of offspring. This could happen if every baby survived and carried on the family system of multiplication."

Just something to ponder when thinking about killing or relocating mice. We use snap traps and poison here.

 

[FakeFarmer1]

Yes I was relocating them. I don't kill anything. I go with the "live and let live".

This is a bigger enemy than the mice themselves. You'll never be rid of them if you cant get yourself to kill them. I have mice come around my barn from time to time. Its the last mistake they ever make...

 

[donrae]

"The biggest problem with mice is that they have multiple litters each year. One male and female mouse can produce up to 40 babies in one year. Multiply that by the fact that each litter will start producing babies as well within the year and you can see how quickly a couple of mice can get out of control. In just that first year those original mice can product up to 139. In one year, a pair of little house mice could produce thousands and thousands of offspring. This could happen if every baby survived and carried on the family system of multiplication."

Just something to ponder when thinking about killing or relocating mice. We use snap traps and poison here.

I raise mice for snake food. One female just popped out 17 babies

. I'm sure not all of those would have lived in the wild (and they didn't here, either), but yeah, they're little breeders!

 

[bobbi-j]

I raise mice for snake food. One female just popped out 17 babies

. I'm sure not all of those would have lived in the wild (and they didn't here, either), but yeah, they're little breeders!

You have a pet snake?

 

[aldarita]

I use Victor electric traps, they are pricey but are very well worth the investment. They electrocute mice in an instant so I believe it is a better way to control them and a more humane way to go. I throw the dead mice in the pasture so they can be eaten by vultures, keeping the food chain going....

 

[donrae]

You have a pet snake?

I don't have a pet snake, my Honey has a pet snake. He just happens to sleep on my side of the bed

. that took a while to get used to, let me tell you! Buddy's a milk snake, not especially large by snake standards. But yeah, our local pet shop closed down and there's no place in town to buy feeder mice, so I started raising some for feeders. The chickens love pinkies. And the mice are actually pretty entertaining to watch, they're very social little things.