Mice!

[grasjm36]

How in the heck can I deal with these pests??? They are taking over my farm. My husband set bar bait in places where my chickens can not get to it but of course one of my fav hens must have found a poisened mouse and ate it up. Now I'm sure I won't have her much longer....I don't have food out at night except for the pullets which seem to eat all night long in their heated pen. The grain is in a metal can which they can't get into. I know being a farm they will just be around but it seems to be getting out of control. Is this just the life of a chicken farmer?

 

[Lesa]

No farm is complete without a few barn cats!! Believe me, they really put a dent in the population! No poison needed...

 

[mchl]

I got two cats that do a good job.

 

[swimmer]

Once the snow and cold hit, so did the mice. I found a small mouse hole right next to the run and set two traps every night and catch two mice every night. You could try a bucket trap. Otherwise get the victor traps out. Probably will only put a small dent in the population, but it's a start. I put a 5 gallon bucket over the top of the traps to the dog or chickens don't get snapped in them.

 

[gsim]

Quote:
Ordinary house cats are best insurance. Do not feed them. Leave them out all of the time. They will find dinner. Won't bother chooks either, excepting for baby chicks.
Next best thing might be death bucket. They just drown in it and you take the dead ones out every morning and just leave it there and add a little peanut butter from time to time and keep the water level about6" deep.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I have a ketch-all repeating mousetrap that works great! I just drown them in a 5 gal. bucket after I catch them (sometimes 6 at a time). No bait needed. Curiosity kills them.

 

[soap&eggs]

before anyone gets the wrong impression of an above post..barn cats need to be fed...they will hunt even if you are feeding them....not all cats know how to hunt..lack of regular meals will fast result in sick & dying cats....... i set up peanutbutter mouse traps inside a wire cage.. inside coop / pens...no worry of chickens & pets getting caught..holes or spaces of wiring of cage is large enough for rodents to get thur...you might also wanna try mint oil..it is known to repel rats..& i am assuming will work for mice..can get the spendy essential mint oil..or just kind found in baking section...pour onto cotton balls..& put where rodent problem is..wont kill them but is just suspose to repel....good luck.

 

[grasjm36]

Thanks everyone. Its been one hell of a mouse year here. I've got traps all over the inside of my house (shudders) and catch at least 4 a day. SICK!