mice

[EggSighted4Life]

OH...and remember that if you use the zap trap, they can't be out in the rain (which is why one of the reasons I put it inside the rubbermaid with an entrance hole cut.

Well, I wonder how almost 100% humidity will effect the zap trap or the chunks ones? I know you can't have an open pack of gum here without it getting pretty gross very fast. Either will probably still be fine. Oh and envelopes seal themselves if you wait a little while!

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

We feed our birds once a day. That has cut down on the food left for rodents. We tried everything. That has worked the best. Also, by the coming year I should have a Rat Terrier. When he matures, I plan on moving the birds into an empty coop for the evening, and putting him in to have a great time.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

We made our own bait containers from buckets. Drill a 2" hole in the side real low. Wedge a wood board into the inside bottom. Buy "Tom Cat" brand bait chunks. Take long screws with a semi large washer and fasten the bait down thru the hole in the bait to the wedged wood in the bucket away from the hole drilled in the side bottom. You can place several baits in one bucket. I placed 2baits in ours and made several bait buckets. Placed them around our coops.
Store bought bait houses are exexpensive, ours were free from utilizing stuff we already have laying around. The cost of the pail of bait was our only expense. Keep a container of water close by that the birds can't access. The bait will make the rats incredibly thirsty and that is where you retrieve their dead bodies.
The first night we made ours, half the bait was gnarled off and the next day after we started disposal of the dead rodents. An economical solution for an expensive problem. Good luck.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

We feed our birds once a day. That has cut down on the food left for rodents. We tried everything. That has worked the best. Also, by the coming year I should have a Rat Terrier. When he matures, I plan on moving the birds into an empty coop for the evening, and putting him in to have a great time.

I can see how that would work well. I probably wouldn't do my only feed first thing in the AM since that's when it seems there *might* be the most amount of bugs available to forage. They mostly pass the trough first thing in the morning anyways actually, I've noticed.

Probably won't be the route for me since I want my chicks access to feed all day. I guess also my broody hens might not get much since they only come out on occasion.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

We made our own bait containers from buckets. Drill a 2" hole in the side real low. Wedge a wood board into the inside bottom. Buy "Tom Cat" brand bait chunks. Take long screws with a semi large washer and fasten the bait down thru the hole in the bait to the wedged wood in the bucket away from the hole drilled in the side bottom. You can place several baits in one bucket. I placed 2baits in ours and made several bait buckets. Placed them around our coops.
Store bought bait houses are exexpensive, ours were free from utilizing stuff we already have laying around. The cost of the pail of bait was our only expense. Keep a container of water close by that the birds can't access. The bait will make the rats incredibly thirsty and that is where you retrieve their dead bodies.
The first night we made ours, half the bait was gnarled off and the next day after we started disposal of the dead rodents. An economical solution for an expensive problem. Good luck.

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Sounds simple enough. Probably not chick proof.. but if the other ones aren't either, hmm. No buckets just hanging around or a hole saw here. Though we often use $ store serrated steak knives. Which will my anxiety choose, over thinking a SIMPLE project or spending $ for a simple solution..

Thanks for sharing.

 

[KaylorFarms]

A rooster will attack any predator that comes in the coop, But are your chicks young?

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

A rooster will attack any predator that comes in the coop, But are your chicks young?

They will, but mice and rats tend to be nocturnal. Chickens are most vulnerable then. That is why big companies like Tyson keep their birds in the dark.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

A rooster will attack any predator that comes in the coop, But are your chicks young?

These pests show up in my run. Feed rarely enters my coop. And chick with their mamas are sometimes not more than 3 days old when they get brought out. So yes very young... and cute!!

So far, my cockerels are good at being stupid and attacking non predators. Still working on raising a good roo. But ya at night they sit on roost, and can't see much. They couldn't care less. And when approached by the unknown predator while on roost (me checking for bugs) they tend to duck down not fight back.

 

[KaylorFarms]

Wow! My relatives have a rooster that will collect bugs and than he'll do a funny call and all the hens run over to him, and he'll drop the bugs for them! He's so sweet and loves everybody! He won't even attack you if you are holding his chicks!

 

[Leahs Mom]

That boy doesn't see his keepers and humans as predators.