Mice. More Like Pigs!

[Jenace]

My parents are hesitant to get chickens mainly because of food costs. Well those mice aren't helping! They actually eat more than the chickens, more than doubling food costs. I thought about setting traps, but then I quickly discarded the idea becuase that would hert the chickens. I need help! I don't know what to do!

Jenace

 

[Granny Hatchet]

hi, i have been going through this for a while. there are a few options. in advanced search you can look up "the bucket of blood" lol its basicly a 5 gal. bucket w/ sunflower seeds floating on top so that the mice cant see the water or my own personal fav. here kitty,kitty! a thread i started myself. lol

 

[Imachicklvr2]

They make "live traps" where the mice run in through a little door that only opens one way so they can't get back out again. Your chickens won't get hurt and you can cut down on the mice. I have been having problems with mice in my coop too. I don't know what your set up is but if you lock your chickens in a coop at night, you can always set snap traps after they go to roost and pick them up first thing in the morning. I have been using a snap which I like a lot as they are not supposed to be dangerous to kids or pets. I have caught two mice in three days. Not great but I am not overly infested yet either.

 

[cstronks]

Get a buckeye chicken...they eat mice whole...I have seen it and it is actually pretty impressive. Traps can be cruel/ineffective/harmful to chickens. Maybe your parents should also look over the coop and try and seal up any holes and cracks. A well protected coop is a good defense as well. I'm on year 2 with my hen house and I've never had a mouse in there.

 

[Mahlzeit]

You can put out some small dishes with fresh soda as well after dark. Mice and rats can't burp so they die from the carbonation.

 

[cstronks]

That sounds messy. It also requires the owner to go out before the crack of dawn to get the dishes. Is there another way to use soda but not with dishes inside the coop?

 

[PheasantKing]

How in the world do you post on classified on this site. ?????????????????????

 

[Mahlzeit]

That sounds messy. It also requires the owner to go out before the crack of dawn to get the dishes. Is there another way to use soda but not with dishes inside the coop?

It doesn't have to be fine china you put it in. You can cut the bottoms off water bottles an use that or anything that will hold some liquid.

 

[cstronks]

It doesn't have to be fine china you put it in. You can cut the bottoms off water bottles an use that or anything that will hold some liquid.

Ok...but it wasn't about the container...the point is that it needs to be chicken proof. What stops a chicken from pecking at a water bottle full of soda at 6 am??

 

[cstronks]

When the bird wakes up and sees soda in the coop, they will make a mess. A plate, dish, cup - none will work. Soda spilled in a coop sounds like a PERFECT way to attract flies and other insects inside.