Mice in the Nests

[mapa]

I read through the posts regarding mice in the nests. The mice are clearly loving the cozy nests - and have packed feathers and tons of food under the straw. We have cleaned out the nests; placed traps with peanut butter on them; and have the feed stored in a tightly closed plastic barrel. We have a cat who has lost interest in mice and would rather go after the birds. However, the mice are getting into the feed that is in the feeders for the chicks. Someone mentioned the "plaster of paris and powdered sugar trick". Can anyone tell me more about that?

 

[Chirpy]

I don't really have any help for you except to ask if it would be worth taking out the straw and using pine shavings in the nest boxes? Maybe the mice wouldn't like that as much?

 

[Mahonri]

At present, we are trying to get rid of roof rats.

We went to Tempe feed and bought the poison and the bait chambers to put the poison/laced w/ peanut butter in.

We've found a number of dead ones, but tonight my 14 year old went into the coop and saw a HUGE rat. He ran and got the pellet gun and the rat is now in a plastic bag in the garbage can. I couldn't believe how big this one was compared to others that we've found dead from the poison.

They've now eaten all of the poison, its time to go buy more. I'm going to put poison in our feed room next to the coop (where the chickens can't get at it.)