Mice, Mice, Mice!!

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You will find a lot of good information here. Keep on asking questions and you will get many good answers.

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Now that's all I'm going to think about all day. Ugh, I hate them!! Some people use the bucket method. Put " Bucket mouse trap," in the search box and it should pop up. No poisons involved.
 
Just to clarify: I do not advocate setting mouse traps inside the coop at night. There is a chance chickens can get to them and hurt themselves. I set traps around the coop and I have a space under the coop because the coop is elevated. The chickens are locked inside and the traps are collected before I let them out.
I don't want you going out there setting traps where your chickens can get to them :)
Best of luck. Hope it's not too late to say welcome to this great site!
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LivInBliss ,

Just wondering what is your progress on mouse problem?

I too just realized I have a mice in the chicken run. I put 3 snap traps last night and caught 3 mice. Ugh. Gonna seal up possible entry points this weekend and continue snap trapping them.

My coop is 2 feet off ground and connected to a hardware cloth covered run. Chicken run has a harware cloth apron and dirt floor covered with pine shavings. I do have small gaps where run meets coop so those are the areas I will work on sealing - prob with wood molding and/or more hardware cloth. Tiny holes gonna stuff with steel wool bought in paint department at home depot. Supposedly if mice it , they will die. The snap traps are placed at nightfall when the flock is locked in coop. Then in morning before I let them out I remove snap traps. I heard you can place snap traps under milk crates weighted with a brick (that way chickens cant get to them).

I am also removing the water and food every night.

Bottom line.... I feel your pain.

Would love to hear any other advice people have and hopeful thoughts on how this will get better.

One last concern... should I be afraid to eat their eggs? I am guessing most chicken coops/runs have mice.

Thanks and wish me luck.
 
You could try dryer sheets as well. Someone was just telling me the other day it will help ward them off. Never personally tried it. We use mini live traps and drop them in a bucket or we strategically place traps where no pets can go. I would suggest using any means possible besides poison and snap traps in the coop. Good luck.
 
Hello!
Thanks for sharing! I did put traps out (outside of coop/run) at night one night and caught one. It was a tiny one. I actually felt weird about killing a mouse that is outside however disgusting they are... Still felt bad. I think I think I'll hold off on it. My chickens are only 15 weeks and a small flock so Im not too worried about it unless it gets out of hand.
I did get an herbal nesting box mix that was lavender, speriment, mint, cammomile-. First night with it and no mice poop (in the chkn feed at least).
Maybe try herbs- they are antibacterial and healing to the birds as well. I sprinkled it in nesting boxes and where they take dust baths!
Good luck!
 
I absolutely love my electronic Rodent Terminator mouse/rat traps. They are battery powered and are enclosed except for an opening at one end for the rodent. Works like a charm with no poison, no danger to the chickens and mice are killed instantly. I recently had a mouse explosion in my barn after the field next to it was cut, the mice moved in. I keep the trap set, bait it with some grain, sometimes there will be two or three mice in it in the morning. I just keep putting it out until I get no more activity.
 
Mice update--

I did set 3 traps outside the coop near the hole where I figured the mice were entering. Got one! Felt terrible about it... Unless it becomes a problem Im taking a rest on the traps.
Instead- taking food in when birds go to bed, stuffed really smelly dryer sheets in holes around outside of coop, and spread my nesting box herbal mix all around-- no mice poo in 3 days now. Oh and I didn't remove food the last two nights and still no mouse poo! Something is working!
Thanks for all the support and great advice.
Good luck to those still having mice issues!
 
I did feel a little bad myself when I caught a tiny mouse in the trap. But I would do it again if it ever became a problem.
If I were you, I would keep the feed out of the coop at night. IMO, it's not worth the risk of attracting predators and pests.
I'm glad things are working out for you. Best of luck with your flock!
 

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