mice !!!!

[TrystInn]

Our barn cat brings our chickens dead mice and rats all the time. She's a marvelous huntress! We all get a kick out of watching one of the chooks grab the dead rodent in its beak and run off with it, only to have the entire flock give chase to see if they can get it away from whomever got it first! Makes for a very exciting day when it happens, lemme tell you.

The ducks catch rats themselves, drown them and leave them to soften up a bit in the pond, then pull the corpses back out to pick the bones clean. I'm fascinated and horrified at the same time when that happens. My farmhand thankfully finds it kind of interesting when he cleans out the waterers and pond, only to find these odd rat corpses.

 

[2DogsFarm]

The only worry is tapeworms.
I treat my barncat every Spring and I'd think the chickens can get the same parasite from eating mice.
If I'm wrong, let me know...

 

[HHandbasket]

Our cats are great mousers but are also great at sharing their goodies. It is not unusual for them to kill a mouse and leave it outside the door of the chickenrun for the girls. Then the chooks play keep-away with it (or what's left of it!). It's pretty gross but funny to watch.

 

[ARose4Heaven]

last winter, I found a rat tail in the chicken house. I really don't want to know what the chickens did with the rest of him.

 

[Ryu]

My brother was telling me about 'safe' mouse traps. We have a honey bee hive in one wall of the barn. Until I can get them moved the mice have plenty to eat and are constantly in the chicken pens. I don't like to use poison, I am afraid it will die in a pen and the chickens will eat it.

The bait is equal parts flour, sugar, and baking soda. Since the mice can't burp, they basically die of gas. I set some of this out and did find a couple bloated corpses.

The other is a trap using a steel trashcan (tall enough the mice can't jump or crawl out, a broom handle, and toilet paper rolls. Thread the tp rolls onto the broomhandle. Attatch the handle across the top of the trash can. Spread out the tp rolls, and put a glob of peanut butter on the center of the broom handle. The idea is that they try to walk out to the peanut butter, and the tp rolls roll and they drop into the can. I was going to put some of the Baking soda bait in the bottom of the can to finish them off.

I'll let you know how it works.

I have also put Aries Kitten of War on patrol in the coop at night. She doesn't bother the chickens and prefers to hunt rather than eat cat food. Zero wild birds hanging around after just a couple days of Aries Patrol.

 

[HAL_9000]

Quote:
I have always called the chooks with the mouse(or anything tasty) Chook Football.. alwas fun to watch the "ball" change beaks, and see how many directions they can run at the same time...

 

[HAL_9000]

Quote:
turned it into eggs