Lots of mice in my coop!!!

[Flyboy718]

I went out to check on my chickens and opened the door and about 10 mice scurried up the walls and down a hole in the floor. I made my coop out of recycled pallets and it has several access points that mice can get into and I confirmed my suspicions tonight...I guess I have to go buy a roll of hardware cloth and fix this problem. The mice when I saw them were in the feeder suspended from the cieling eating and they scurried up the rope! Ugh!! My main concern is health problems with the chickens? Will they inadvertenly eat mice poop and get sick? Will it get us sick if we eat the eggs? Gimme some ideas/help on how to stop these darn mice!

 

[MissJenny]

I don't know if they'll inadvertently eat mice poop and get sick... but ten mice is a big problem. I don't know of any easy solutions -- starting with hardware cloth is good. I would google all possible mice deterrents and choose whatever works best for you and your situation. Rather than finding one solution, I would pick a bunch -- short of setting off a canon!

Good good good Luck,
Jenny

 

[bfrancis]

Chickens don't eat at night...you could start by removing any uneaten food and clean up any food mess left over...no food the mice will go else where.

Not only will the mice droppings get your birds sick, the mice will attract other predators that eat mice...and eggs......and chickens like snakes, coyotes etc....for the 10 mice you saw, 100 others are trying to find your house right now. You really need to get the mouse problem under control. Follow Miss Jenny's advice...shot gun effect...traps, hardware cloth, remove uneaten food daily....do not use poison! Some chickens will chase down and eat mice too. You don't want to inadvertently kill one of your birds.

good luck

 

[mutantroosta]

get a cat or 2 on the payroll =]

 

[Mattemma]

I love snap traps.Placing them under milk crates will prevent the chickens from getting hurt. I had mice living is the straw bales I put in the coop one winter.The wire over holes or brillo type pads shoved in them will deter the critters.

 

[Flyboy718]

So the mice will possibly make the chickens sick? Should I not eat their eggs? Sucks to have to remove the food every night...guess I could get a clasp that I could quickly remove it from the cord it is hanging on from the ceiling. My main concern is the possible health problem...

 

[Dutchess]

Try this, works great!

www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=564367

 

[OldChurchEggery1]

If you have bales of hay stored inside of your coop or right up tight to your coop, removing those will give mice fewer places to hide. If you're cleaning up and stumble upon a nest of mice, call your chickens over. Though it looks pretty gross, they will gobble up "pinkie" mice just like grubs.

 

[bluestar.ranch]

I have raised chickens years.. BEST solution this stops rats mice DEAD in their tracks.. Purchase "Just One Bite" from Farnam.com or at your feedstore.. Place the rate bars in "lunchmeat or old tuppwear type containers with lids.. cut hole about size of quarter for rats mice to get inside to eat.. TAPE THE LID SHUT.... DROP THESE AROUND SIDE OF YOUR PENS where kids and pets can get to it.. SOME RATS DIE ON THE SPOT.... some go to the bushes and die.. but you will be rid of rats./mice. I promise!

If you can get some ferral cats barn cats.. to live around your coop area. OR spread dirty cat litter.. rats do not like the sent of cats.. shis will help too. Good luck

 

[gmendoza]

We had scrapper(r.i.p.) to ease our mouse problem,and he did wondders.Put a cat on the payroll.