Is there a way to keep mice out of chicken pens?

[WillowMoonWyandottes]

Last year I had a terrible mouse problem, mice were all in my chicken pens, under food bowls and there were just mice holes everywhere! I tried traps but they didn’t work so well at getting rid of them. I’ve been without chickens for about 5 months now and have relocated my pen and even without chickens the pens are already infested with mice!! I have no food in the area or anything that I know of that would be attracting them. I really want make sure when I get more chickens I can have the problem under control but I have no idea how to do so other than mice traps, is there any other way to keep them out of the pens or at least deter them? I’m mostly worried about them spreading diseases to my chickens.

 

[nuthatched]

For deterrents, I think removing all feed and water, which is hard since chickens are messy. recommend a product called Mouse X, it's not a poison, there's no risk of second hand poisoning anything, it's safe around poultry and animals except for rodents.
It's made from a certain salt that keeps only rodents from feeling thirst, they die in a coma from dehydration without suffering.
Put in a bottle with a large mouth like a Gatorade bottle.
If you can see the mice you have a pretty serious infestation.

 

[WillowMoonWyandottes]

For deterrents, I think removing all feed and water, which is hard since chickens are messy. recommend a product called Mouse X, it's not a poison, there's no risk of second hand poisoning anything, it's safe around poultry and animals except for rodents.
It's made from a certain salt that keeps only rodents from feeling thirst, they die in a coma from dehydration without suffering.
Put in a bottle with a large mouth like a Gatorade bottle.
If you can see the mice you have a pretty serious infestation.

Thanks! I will definitely try Mouse X, hopefully it will help.

 

[aart]

I’ve been without chickens for about 5 months now and have relocated my pen and even without chickens the pens are already infested with mice!!

Were the mice there before you put the pen there?
Some pics of pen and surrounding area might help here.

Keeping area clear of hiding places where mice will harbor might help.
Keep the traps set all the time.

Properly set snap traps have worked the best for me,
in house/garage/sheds/coop,
the old school type with the wooden base and small metal trigger mechanism.
Two key things that upped success immensely:
-Place the bait end of trap against a wall or other flat surface(like a box at least 6" tall).
-Cram some solid bait tight into trigger so they have to really dig for it.

I've found sunflower seeds or a chunk of corn from chicken scratch mix to work very well for bait.....and no more pnut butter mess.

There are various ways to protect the chickens from them...in a box with mouse sized holes down low, under a milk crate or wire basket with holes big enough for mice but too small for chickens.

Been catching mice in under-house garage and sheds(rarely in house thank goodness) for 20 years, way before chickens happened here.

I keep some always set, and am especially vigilant in spring and fall.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Problem with mice is they can squeeze into almost anything... so you'd need every single gap larger than 1/4" or so covered with 1/4" hardware cloth just to keep them out. On the plus side, they're less paranoid than rats, so they will stumble into traps much more easily.

I haven't tried Mouse X but I have tried Rat X for a rat that was sneaking in (my run isn't rat proof), and no more sign of rat, so guess it did the job. Works the same way as Mouse X.

 

[50-45-1]

The Bucket Trap Way To Mouse Control
If you have cleaned up all stray feed , a couple of these bucket traps should work real good for you.
Good luck!

 

[Jenwisp]

Get a couple ducks, geese, or turkeys. they eat mice. we used to have a few more ground bee nests. since we've had chickens on the lawn they have disappeared.