Infestation - mice / pack rats

[sloanbychoice]

So, I’ve got myself one H E double hockey sticks of an infestation. Primarily mice.

Our coop is an old dirt floor barn, that we used OSB and 2x4s to wall up nice and convert into a Taj Majal of a coop.
I’ve never floored it, because we never had a problem, and because it’s a pretty large barn.
We’ve always had a few mice in phases; Victor traps have always taken care of it.
But this winter, they really set in.
Also, a pack rat has made himself welcome and has married now, and I assume there have to be some youngsters.
The mice are tunneling badly from outside right up through the floor into the coop.
I’ve heard stories of what can happen to chickens’ feet when mice are allowed to invade. Also, they are vile and diseased, so obviously I need to get this taken care of.

Sorry this is so long.

Normally, I wait until bed time, and we set traps up, no bait needed, in their paths. We set around a dozen or so, and they are usually all tripped when we go back out.
One night, we went out three times in the course of two hours, and had managed to kill almost 20. That’s how bad it’s gotten.

First, obviously, we’re going to floor the coop. But I guess I’ll have to line the entire floor with hardware first?? Otherwise, won’t they just chew through the plywood?
What’s the best way to do this?

Second, how in the world can I mass murder all these nasty things, without putting my flock at risk?
I mean, setting traps in mass every single night is getting really old.

 

[50-45-1]

Instead if building a floor (which the rodents will just live under) can you dig a perimeter around just the coop section and install hardware cloth down in the ground?
This is what we did for our coop with a dirt floor..
Also I recommend you build some bucket traps. You need some 5 gallon buckets, heavy wire or metal rods and small metal cans like vegetables come in. You bait with peanut butter. You could build 4 or 5 of those and they would drown rodents all night. Just empty in morning. You can use water in summer and smell free RV antifreeze in winter. There are direction to build them on the internet. Good luck!
Edit: took some pictures of one of the bucket mouse traps my husband built for me and i can gaurentee they do work.

 

[Chicken Heel]

I had a similar invasion with my flock of chickens about 40 years ago but wouldn't recommend what I did at the time. My action plan included pouring gas into holes and lighting with a match. It was all fun and games watching those burning Norway rats pop out of the holes until it wasn't. The main coop and the woods adjacent to the lot caught on fire. I ended up having to just get rid of the chickens at that time.

 

[Nay]

Here in the UK, this would be a job for a working terrier. You can hire terriermen with a pack of a few dogs who will come in and sort out your mice or rat problem very fast. I'm not sure if they are widely available in the states, and admittedly lots of dogs going after mice and rats is very gruesome, but it has no poison and is very effective at clearing out an infestation (see examples on YouTube). If there are any in your area, I'd hire them immediately. Your problem would be sorted out in an hour or two.

One of my terriers (just a pet) likes to plant himself outside by the coop and he catches things all day long for fun. He and the cat have a little routine together. Its just instinctual.
There's a YouTube channel called mousetrap Monday (linked below) which shows how the spinning bucket mousetrap is intended to work. He also has lots of other reviews of traps on there that might be of interest. Good luck!https://www.youtube.com/user/historichunter

 

[Nay]

I didn't think Terriermen still existed. They used to use them in Kent to keep the rats attracted to the hops manageable. Now I believe they shoot the rats.
Good to read such an old tradition hasn't died out.

I believe it was illegal for a time. But it is roaring back in popularity as a "green solution". Recent example

 

[aart]

You can hire terriermen with a pack of a few dogs who will come in and sort out your mice or rat problem very fast. I'm not sure if they are widely available in the states

There's one in the western US, Oregon.
https://themongrolhoard.com/index.php/about-2/

 

[Folly's place]

If you can, a concrete floor would be best! Rodents chew through plywood just fine.
Minimally, hardware cloth and then plywood, although having a dig proof perimeter could save your nice dirt floor instead, and not add plywood which will rot eventually.
Rats will eat eggs and kill chickens at night, and their tunnels are plenty big enough for weasels, who will kill your whole flock.
Traps do kill mice, but won't get all the rats, so at this point you likely will need poison bait in the safer bait traps. Most of the rodents will return to their tunnels and die there, so most bodies won't be available for accidental secondary poisonings.
Do fix your coop to prevent this happening again!
Mary

 

[coopdeville15]

I too have had a dirt floor coop for about 5 years, but didn't have a problem until about 4 months ago. Got a couple with rat traps placed where the chickens couldn't get to them. But the rats got wise. I flooded their tunnels with a hose then shot them with .22 bird shot as they scrambled out. Only got a few, but it was fun! The chickens didn't care for it much, but they seemed to have recover from all of the excitement. I will eventually have to put down a hardware cloth barrier. I guess I better do that before it gets too hot.

 

[cmom]

I had a severe rat infestation in a coop. After I moved the birds and started renovating the coop the rats poured out from everywhere. There were dozens of rats, too many to trap. I resorted to using poison. I used the rat bait bars in a rat bait box. The only critter that can get to the bait is the rats and mice. The bait box I have has a little window above the bait so it can be checked regularly. I keep it loaded and haven't had any activity in a long time. I also had tunnels around the coops. I didn't find dead rats laying around. I suspect they went into their tunnels and died. I put the bait boxes in our barn which is right behind the coops. The rats found them. Good luck with whatever you do.

 

[Shadrach]

Here in the UK, this would be a job for a working terrier. You can hire terriermen with a pack of a few dogs who will come in and sort out your mice or rat problem very fast. I'm not sure if they are widely available in the states, and admittedly lots of dogs going after mice and rats is very gruesome, but it has no poison and is very effective at clearing out an infestation (see examples on YouTube). If there are any in your area, I'd hire them immediately. Your problem would be sorted out in an hour or two.

One of my terriers (just a pet) likes to plant himself outside by the coop and he catches things all day long for fun. He and the cat have a little routine together. Its just instinctual.
There's a YouTube channel called mousetrap Monday (linked below) which shows how the spinning bucket mousetrap is intended to work. He also has lots of other reviews of traps on there that might be of interest. Good luck!https://www.youtube.com/user/historichunter

I didn't think Terriermen still existed. They used to use them in Kent to keep the rats attracted to the hops manageable. Now I believe they shoot the rats.
Good to read such an old tradition hasn't died out.