infestation?

[DomiHentrix]

I went out to my coop in the evening a few days ago and picked up the feeder and mice ran out in all directions, tiny gray mice but at least 20 of them!!!

What do I do, why aren't the chickens trying to eat them? I have seen the chickens with one or two here and there but I never would have guessed the numbers were this large.

Suggestions?

P.S I cleaned out the coop entirely on Sunday and removed the water ancd feeder. I now set them out during the day and remove them at night.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[BJ]

Whatever you do, don't use poison. If the chickens eat a poisoned mouse, they will also be poisoned.

I'm sure there will be lots of ideas posted. Good luck!

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Here kitty.kitty.kitty.kitty...........

I would get a cat, mouse traps, stay away from the bait as the chickens may get into it.

 

[Rte.66_chicks]

Is it possible to hang your feeder so nothing can hide under it?

 

[lady chicken whisperer]

Cleverly place mouse traps with peanut butter on them. Just keep resetting the traps until you stop getting mice. Be careful about letting ur chickens eat the mice though, I just lost one of my best layers because she choked on a mouse!!! So if you are going to let ur chickens go after the mice, try to make sure you keep an eye on them so no one else suffers the fate of my poor girl.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Very common problem on the farm. You probably have had mice for months, but just started to see them when the numbers got high.

A kitty would do you good. They stay away from the chickens and if you only feed them a bit a day in cat food, they will mouse for ya.

Get a FEMALE kitty, the males are pretty lazy about mousing.

Other wise get a cage that the chickens can not get into, like a small critter trap and bait the thing with mouse trapS.

Chicken wil not eat mice if they in turn have enough to eat.

 

[lady chicken whisperer]

Quote:
Not true in my case. My birds have more than enough to eat but will have a field day if they find mice. Its a nice, live snack for them.

 

[swampwander]

Enclosed sticky foot traps. Chickens can't get at the mice and the mice die. Or this one, a little more humane, if you care:

http://store.doyourownpestcontrol.com/PestControl/Product/Repeater_Clear_Top1_Mouse_Trap_T220.html

Not true about male cats not being killers. I should let you borrow my NEUTERED (important), well-fed ginger cat, Tom. He kills (and often eats) everything rodent or rodent-like.

 

[Chicken Woman]

Make a wooden box about 10 by 10 by 2. Have a lid so you can open it. Make small holes so little mice can get in. Place peanut butter and poison mixed together. That way your chickens can't get to the poison but the mice can.

If you don't want to use poison just put a couple of those sticky pads inside with peanut butter to draw them inside. Everytime you catch one you will need to toss the pad and put in another. The sticly pads are at most harware stores or walmart. One time I got two on one pad !

 

[sandypaws]

HHEEEErree poodle, poodle, poodle.... "get the bunnies"

how i keep the rodents under control...
#1 try NOT to leave any food out at night.. i know you cant help some of it,, but dont leat bowl/feeders full..
#2 traps.. live traps and/or snap traps.. if your chickens are locked IN at night set the traps around the feed bowls or chicken yard..
#3 .. during the daylight i will flood the holes of the rodents,, usually forces them out.. the chickens and my dogs will kill them..
my poodles are the best RAT killing dogs i have ever owned (they were trained by a schnauzer).. all i ahve to say is "get the bunny" and my poodles go on alert looking for the rodents to kill...
#4 i have hotwire low around the coop (so my dogs dont dig) but this wire will ZZZAP and kill small animals and birds (even baby chicks, so keep them INSIDE) at least once a week we find a dead rodent against the hotwire being fryed...

all of these things keeps them under control,, but i will never get rid of all of them...