Major mice issue

[NanaJune]

They built a new sub-division behind our property two years ago, and we became OVERRUN with Mice and Field Rats! We tried the poison called Havoc because it is not supposed to harm animals if they eat a rat or mouse killed by it. Well, the dogs were all fine, but I started losing chicks and chickens. They would start with nervous system disorders and then go blind. It was the saddest thing ever. I finally connected the dots and started noticing green mouse poo in and around my feeders. The chickens were being poisoned along with the mice and rats that had moved into our barns and coops. The mice would go into the feeders at night and eat while leaving poisoned droppings behind.

Long story short - we now have 5 of the most awesome barn cats in the world! We DO NOT have rats or mice any longer in the coops, barns, or feed room. We occasionally see the cats out in the pasture stalking the rats and mice who are brave enough to venture our way. However, they haven't got a chance!

 

[draggar]

Ferret poop. I'm not joking.

When we had ferrets we had NO mice outside around the chickens - we even spread their poop around the coop. When the ferrets were gone and we stopped with the poop, the mice came back quickly.

I haven't tried peppermint yet but I want to - I want to grow tomatoes but they're always eaten by mice. I've tried many products but nothing worked as well, or as long term, as the ferret poop.

 

[ZooMummzy]

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I'm not sure this is absolutely true. I have peppermint planted all around my coop and run and the whole area is swarming with mice every night. I think I have strange mice

 

[ZooMummzy]

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Ok, this I can try as I have ferrets. I'm assuming their poop is not harmful to the chickens?

 

[Zahboo]

Well the wood pile is gone for a while now,. We have most of the yard cleaned and I don't see mice during the day time. My birds are raised off the grond now, the feed is fed a little in the morning and a little in the afternoon so no waste, they are hungry so they actually eat. This way they don't have food sitting around all day. It's gotten better but when I check on the chicks at night I still see some. I have reusable mouse traps from d-con that gets 5 a night

5 traps. That will slowly start getting some, but I'm sure tehy are reproducing faster. Oh well. The peppermint didn't work

So far at least.

 

[toletiquesbysam]

I bought a live trap house thing from Menards. It's a metal box and the mice can go in but they can't get back out. I put a poison block in there so when they enter they will eat it and die. I don't know how it would work being outside, mine is located in our barn which is next to our coop.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

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You can use peppermint extract, also, diluted in a spray bottle. The only thing is that it will wash away when it rains. We use traps - sticky and the snap type - in the barn.

 

[Zahboo]

I just have to be careful because of Isabellas little terrier nose and I let the chicks freerange during the day. That would end horribly quick. So we just cover them with buckets when animals are running around.

 

[oleduke]

Weasels, Ferrets, and yes Minks are all predators of mice as well as many other animals of prey. I have recently had a serious problem with a family of Mink's. I noticed there were an abundance of mice coming to snatch a free meal around the edge of dark. Didn't think much of it at first, set traps and killed 5 or 6 the first night. Each night I killed less and less but I would still see the mice. I guess they became wary of the traps.

One evening when I wasn't around, a mink came in and killed 8 pheasants and two chickens of mine. They are ravenous and kill even if they don't eat. I basically camped out (not really but like now it is 3:30 am EST and I am just settling in for the night. Two nights later I saw the mink and shot it in the face with .22 shot shell, but I did not kill it. I needed a larger caliber, I had my .22 with me to shoot mice. A few more nights went by and I was tired so I gave up around 1:30 am or so. Well, that mink came and killed 15 of my dad's chickens.

We have traps etc... the hole nine yards, but could not catch him. I decided that I was gonna get him one way or another. It has now been a month, and I have killed 4 opossums, 3 coons, tons of mice (I have pictures too

) and one mink. BUT there is more than one of those minks around as I have seen a total of 3. I keep a vigilante eye, and every bird we have gets put in a cage with rabbit wire on it so nothing can get to them.

Minks can climb. I watched (the one I killed with my 9 mm and shot shell) it climb 6 feet of bitty wire and squeeze through 2x2 wire like it was nothing. My point to all of this is, get rid of the mice or you will have more vicious predators coming to feed. I still play whack a mouse almost every evening (it's the name I gave shooting mice with .22 shot shell. Of course, you can always remove the food every evening but it is a lot of work.

I hope you solve your problem.

Cheers.

 

[fancbrd4me02]

Keep your property well mowed. Field mice use thatch & grass as cover, housing and food. Keep things clean, clean, clean at your property. Get a barn owl house, they will eat a lot of mice and rats.