MICE! Grumble Grumble Grrr...

[Chicks Galore3]

I've recently had a happy little family of mice move into my coop. They've made a nest under the waterer by the heater. Nice and toasty warm. Thing is, they've started to stink up the coop. I've chased them away multiple times and have had the cat(s) go after them. I have a live trap, which worked for awhile, (I caught about 20 of the little buggers!) but now in the cold winter months they won't set their little feet on the cold metal. H-E-L-P! what can I do to get rid of them?

 

[thebanthams]

I had huge problems with mice, I had no choice but to use d con pioson bates. (away from my chickens) I havnt had problems since.

 

[citychickx6]

Try snap traps with dog food glued to the trigger. Put it in a shoe box with the lid on and a weight on top of the lid. Cut a hole in the box and put it so the hole is close to the wall so they go in. They seem to scurry along the walls.
I saw on here in the pests thread where someone put the snap traps inside a piece of gutter on top of a board.

The shoe box may be more available. Make sure to put the baited end by the wall since that is where they scurry along.

It has certainly helped us here.

 

[FenikT]

I second the shoebox trick, but use peanut butter on the trigger. No glue needed, little chance of the bait falling off the trigger.

 

[centrarchid]

You can get a level of control by limiting their access to feed. I try to have food out during daylight where chickens themselves can catch mice. Feed is effectively rationed so it is virtually all consumed before birds go to roost. Additionally feed is stored in metal trash cans with lids fitted tightly. Cats can catch some but usually their are many more mice operating under ground where cat can not get at them. Try setting out a camera that works in dark, you find you have lot more mice than you estimate.

 

[citychickx6]

You can get a level of control by limiting their access to feed. I try to have food out during daylight where chickens themselves can catch mice. Feed is effectively rationed so it is virtually all consumed before birds go to roost. Additionally feed is stored in metal trash cans with lids fitted tightly. Cats can catch some but usually their are many more mice operating under ground where cat can not get at them. Try setting out a camera that works in dark, you find you have lot more mice than you estimate.

So true and so gross at the same time.
The stinkers were actually eating or at least damaging my birds feathers while they roosted. I was so sickened by what I found when I snuck into the coop at midnight a while back.

 

[centrarchid]

Another type of damage of concern is to structure and foundation of building. I do not insulate owing to what mice make of it. They are not always friendly to wiring either.

 

[Chicks Galore3]

I didn't insulate, but I didn't know you could when I built the coop. What's more, My chickens have had some damaged feather problems. } Thank you all so much! I will try the shoebox trap thing too.

 

[Chicks Galore3]

Would poison work in the shoe box too?

 

[citychickx6]

Sorry for the delay in responding I have been ill.
I would not put poison in the shoe boxes since chickens will eat pretty much anything that does not eat them first. (dead or not)
The chickens could end up poisoned by eating the dead or dying mice.

edited to add:

I would also make sure you have quarter inch hardware cloth on all the windows. I found evidence of them coming in through some half inch hardware cloth I had on one of the windows. (droppings)
This weekend I am sweeping all the shavings out and adding step flashing to all the lower corner areas I find damage from them. I am thinking they cannot chew through that so easily.
Death toll (of mice) so far 22. 18 were in the coop caught in snap traps the rest in the patio room where I was keeping the feed. The feed in now in 5 gallon buckets with gamma lids from home depot on them. Gamma lids are AWESOME IMO. They permanently mount to the bucket making a screw off lid.