Mice in the coop!

[Delphene]

Hi, yesterday I heard something in the coop and with further inspection, we found mice. I think they somehow have a hole into the coop to get in. Is there anyway besides cats and poison to get rid of them?

 

[Al Gerhart]

Yes, the absolutely most safe and efficient way to to stop feeding them. Without a human supplied food source few territories can support a large mouse population and they are exposed to predators which keep their numbers down. You set out a buffet. Guests have arrived.

Search for Howard E.'s posts in this very forum on rodents and chickens.

 

[PimsGarden]

If you clean the coop of food and don't keep food in it, that should get rid of them. Hardware cloth will be your best friend if you can't keep them out from there. You need to find out where they are getting in if they are still around after you remove the food source.

 

[Chickenmomof6]

I had rats!! Many of them!!!! After months of going crazy trying everything possible from traps to snaps, I did two game changing things:
1. They love to dig, so I bought “Grampa’s feeder” from Amazon. Expensive but worth it. I put a rock on it also at night to keep the feeder closed. They really weren’t fond of stepping on the feeder, so I have it propped open all day.
2. I also really went crazy and used hardwire cloth around the entire inside walls of my coop. I then dug down about 10 inches around the entire floor of the coop and put hardwire cloth down (hammering galvanized chicken wire staples to the wood around the whole floor/wall perimeter). I know this seems extreme, but mice and rats will tunnel and burrow under the coop. The hardwire cloth was also cheaper on Amazon than Lowe’s or Home Depot. The exact one I got for $59. Worked like a charm!! No sightings in exactly three weeks!!! I know that for a fact because they are no more droppings around, and the biggest tell-tale signs were digging in the corner to get out and tunnels… No more at all!! Good luck. I hope this helps

AMAGABELI GARDEN & HOME Hardware Cloth 1/4inch 36inchx50ft 23Gauge Galvanized After Welding Wire Metal Mesh Roll​

 

[Al Gerhart]

If you do the #2 step, fencing out the mice, there is no need to buy a treadle feeder.

If you only buy the chinese made grandpa feeder it won't stop the mice. There are lots of negative reviews with pictures and videos on their Amazon page to claim otherwise. The lid can be lifted by mice and without the hardware cloth enclosure the rodents will just eat during the day anyway.

To stop rodents you need either the exclusion method which is quite expensive or you need a proper ratproof feeder, heavy spring loaded door, narrow and distant treadle, and if you have to prop the feeder open you just as well save the money in my opinion.

 

[Altairsky]

I have small mice that can squeeze trough the hardware cloth. A real nuisance. I can get rid of them with poison, but they die in the coop and the chickens eat them.

 

[Chickenmomof6]

If you do the #2 step, fencing out the mice, there is no need to buy a treadle feeder.

If you only buy the chinese made grandpa feeder it won't stop the mice. There are lots of negative reviews with pictures and videos on their Amazon page to claim otherwise. The lid can be lifted by mice and without the hardware cloth enclosure the rodents will just eat during the day anyway.

To stop rodents you need either the exclusion method which is quite expensive or you need a proper ratproof feeder, heavy spring loaded door, narrow and distant treadle, and if you have to prop the feeder open you just as well save the money in my opinion.

Agreed! I actually read the review on the Grampa feeder but opted to buy this expensive thing anyway because I was desperate. The rats were definitely eating from it at night. I know that because the food was going rapidly. We had to lay a rock on it each evening, but the rats still got into the coop because they were smelling it I guess. Being that they were still getting into the coop, we had to do something very drastic, which is putting hardwire around the entire coop (walls and floor). It took a couple of days with two people to do both. It was definitely worth it, because we haven’t seen any rats in weeks
That is why the hardwire cloth was the way to go. To hardwire the whole cook, we used two 50’ mesh rolls that cost $59. each. It did the trick and would highly recommend this.

 

[Chickenmomof6]

I have small mice that can squeeze trough the hardware cloth. A real nuisance. I can get rid of them with poison, but they die in the coop and the chickens eat them.

Did you try the 1/4 inch of hardwire cloth? It has to totally overlay the next piece or they can get through. They may be tunneling under if they’re getting in. The floor should be done as well. Takes time to do but totally worth it.

 

[Altairsky]

The bottom of my coop is completely closed with hardware cloth. They are small, and fit trough the netting. I used to raise mice for my snakes, and I know from experience that mice that size can get trough. I had to overlap 2 sheets of hardware cloth to keep them inside their cages.

 

[aart]

Hi, yesterday I heard something in the coop and with further inspection, we found mice. I think they somehow have a hole into the coop to get in. Is there anyway besides cats and poison to get rid of them?

Post pics of the coop, inside and out.