Low egg production - it's mice!

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Here's an update - it's not mice, but RATS! I moved a panel (out there to keep chickens off the top of the next boxes) and 5 RATS went running! I screamed and flew out of the coop! That was this morning, so they are raiding the nest boxes for eggs during the day. After my heart re-started, I found my husband and gave him the news. Now, we have to consider traps or something other than a rinky dinky bucket of water. Oh, my!
 
sewingca said:
Here's an update - it's not mice, but RATS! I moved a panel (out there to keep chickens off the top of the next boxes) and 5 RATS went running! I screamed and flew out of the coop! That was this morning, so they are raiding the nest boxes for eggs during the day. After my heart re-started, I found my husband and gave him the news. Now, we have to consider traps or something other than a rinky dinky bucket of water. Oh, my!
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Ack!!!! I would have had a heart attack!
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I hope you get it figured out soon. I've looked for a rat zapper but haven't been able to get one. So I set out some traps and killed some rats recently but they creep me out!!! There is a vacant house nearby and I think that's their main residence but I don't want the population exploding regardless....... we keep all food put away at night, including water but to have them taking eggs! How awful! Good luck with it!
 
I was kind of wondering when you said it was mice... While I imagine a mouse could tackle an egg if it was really hungry and determined enough, it's a pretty tall order for them. Rats on the other hand... yeah, they'll do a number!

I have a great remedy for mice OR rats, but nobody ever wants to use it. lol
 
Get a couple of black rat snakes (or your local native equivalent) and let them loose into the walls or foundation where the rats are at. They'll eat the rats until there's no food left, then move on. My dad was a science teacher with all kinds of snakes and such for his classroom, and one winter when we had the snakes home for the holidays, the black rat snake got loose and into the walls. Our mouse problem was over by the end of Christmas break, and we never saw the snake again.
 
I'll happily send you some barn cats!

Or, do you know anyone with a good working rat terrier or jack russell terrier, something like that? Those little dogs are quite serious about killing little things like that.
 
donrae said:
I'll happily send you some barn cats!

Or, do you know anyone with a good working rat terrier or jack russell terrier, something like that? Those little dogs are quite serious about killing little things like that.
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Just gotta be careful they don't decide chickens are on the "kill" list.
 
Oh, PrairieChickens, we've had black snakes - they eat our eggs! Good thought, though, perhaps since I inadvertantly cleared the rats out, the local snakes will have a feast in the nearby brush. By the way, it was my DH that first saw the "mice". This evening, he saw another "mouse" in the eaves. He either needs better glasses or, perhaps, the mice are out in the evening while the rats snack during the day. I hope eliminating their hidey hole will keep them gone!
 

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