Rodents in the feed--thoughts on cats--

[sparkles2307]

Our cats live in the chicken barn and go in and out of the actual inner coop at their leisure. I dont have mice since we moved the cats to the coop, and they give the chooks plenty of space so they dont get their tails pecked so its a harmonious pairing.

 

[toadbriar]

Can you put an eye bolt in the top of your feeder and suspend it with clothesline or chain from a rafter? That's what my friend does. Mice still might could jump to it from the floor, but it's something.

I like the feral cat rescue idea! Our local shelter here in rural MA has a barn cat program - see: http://www.dpvhs.org/adopt/barn_cats.php

I love that it gives a chance to kitties who might not have other options.

And yeah, lidded metal trash cans are fantastic for storing feed. There are smaller-sized ones at our feed store & hardware store even, if the usual ones are too big.

 

[FenDruadin]

Thanks again for all the input!

I think I'm going to give up on the idea of suspending the feeders for now, because I'm using trough-style feeders to ensure the ducks all have equal access (no crowding out by dominant birds), and I'm not sure how I'd do it except to attach to the side of the shelter.

However, I am going to start measuring their food more carefully to ensure they finish it up and don't leave leftovers sitting out all night. I think that will help, and it will reduce my food costs, too, since they will eat less if they only have enough for one serving. Now that Spring has brought plenty of forage in the form of insects, worms, and young shoots, I'm not worried about them going hungry.

I can clean up the feed shed, use metal trash cans (although I really like my stacking plastic bins...), and I like the sound of the rodent blocks, bolted down and enclosed. Still makes me a little nervous--my two-year-old can get into nearly anything (like opening the latched window upstairs and going out on the roof--there's a fun story), but maybe there's a way to make it truly toddler proof.

Unfortunately, unless I reduce the rodent population, I fear I'm still going to have trouble with them nesting in the good goat hay and finding crumbs on the floor of the feed shed--even if I sweep up after each feeding, I suspect I won't get it all. Still, reducing the food available will probably also reduce the frequency of rodent visits.

So ultimately I still think kitties is a good way to go, especially since we'll also be doing a good deed by offering a stable home to a couple of strays that would probably otherwise end up in the gas chamber at animal control.

I appreciate all the feedback and am open to additional input! Thank you!!

 

[chooniecat]

I personally would NOT patronize idiots(oops,not) that have free kitten signs. forgive me but have worked with animals for several decades and have HAD it with people not fixing their domestic pets. ANYHOW- in ohio there is a rescue that rehomes neutered ferals for barn work(no spraying, fighting, injuries from said fighting) yeah-they're not cute kittens but they are in great need of a home to feed them and the rescue actually helps if there is a health issue after rehoming. you'ed be doing a much more compassionate thing in getting an adult cat for barn work. I do NOT have a rodent problem either because I set Victor brand snap traps 24/7 in a small box with small opening(so other creatures don't enter) and in the last 10 years rarely have a mouse carcass because they're just not around.

 

[chellebyerly]

Just wanted to say that I vote for the cat too. If you get a young enough cat, they wont mess with your birds, and I've rescued kittens before that lost their mom REAL early, and they were wonderful mousers.. Its just a cat trait. some do some dont. I think playfulness has alot to do with it. those are the ones with the higher instinct.

But barn cats are a wonderful thing IMO.

 

[nissa_loves_cats]

I'd vote for barn cats too. I think the best way to get them is from a real farm out in the country that has kittens/cats available. Out in the country there are a lot of old farmer types who don't even believe in buying cat food for their barn kitties--- the cats live on mice, a little milk and table scraps from time to time. When you go to a shelter you have no clue what you are getting, and the animal rightsers who run many shelters look down on country/rural folk who want an animal for practical reasons.

My cats are descended from those type of barn cats. They do get cat food but they also kill mice/rats. The cats will kill baby chicks/ducklings at the early stages. I had one cat who learned to climb the walls to get in a brooder house. I had to put in a broody goose with the chicks/ducklings as a bodyguard. The next morning I had to go in to rescue the cat.

 

[chickboss]

I vote cat. The previous owners of our property were horrible (and I mean over the top gross) house keepers. We had to use an extreme amount of bleach before we could even spend the night in the house. There was, and I am not blowing this up, and 2 inch layer of mice droppings under all of the kitchen cabinets. Not to mention the drawers........makes me cringe just to think back at it. So, even after we got everything spic and span the mice were used to hanging around. I would see them scampper accross the kitchen flore into the spare room, ect. My husband was still working in our prior town, and still staying at the old house, so I told him to bring up our fixed male Eldon right away on his next trip up. He caught three in the house withing the first 24hrs. Now, I have three other cats who consider the act of hunting to consist of strolling to the cat food dish....but if you get a good one they are worth it totally. Oh, and he has free access to food. We saved him from a burn pile that was going to be lit the next day when he was 2 wks old. Momma took off with the other kittens and left him there. Lucky for us..

 

[oldno7ranch]

We have serveral barn cats, they are goods and bads, they keep the mice and snakes down and like to bring thier prizes to the door so watch the doorstep when you go out...lol But I also had a cat of my sisters (lives next door) come over and killed and ate a 4 week old rouen pullet. I was furious!! But as long as they are all feathered out and I turn them out with the ducks when they come up,(ours free range 10 acres) I haven't had any more issues. But we have the mice and snakes under control but now we have possums that like to get into feed and eat the cat food, and we are currently have a fox problem.

 

[FenDruadin]

This is wonderful feedback, thank you. I think I will probably go with cats, then. I am not worried about them getting the ducklings--I have to protect babies from all kinds of things already--hawks and owls and foxes and domestic dogs and so on, so I'll just add domestic cats to that list. I am a little sad about the prospect of them eating the local snakes, though--if I could get someone to drop a couple black snakes in my backyard to control the mice, I'd be glad of that too. I wouldn't have to pay vet costs on snakes, lol!

On the other hand, we do sometimes get copperhead nests in the backyard in the woods, which is a danger to the children of course when the babies hatch out and hide in the lawn. So if the kitties can take care of copperheads--can they? Without danger to themselves? Or will the copperheads be as dangerous for them as they are for the children? Ugh! So many things to worry about...

Anyway--if I do get cats, I think I'll see if I can't get a couple kittens from a farm cat. I do usually prefer to rescue critters--my indoor kitty (no longer with us, alas) was 10 when I adopted him, and my dog is a pound mutt--but I have several reasons for, this one time, wanting babies instead of adult rescues. Anyway, it sounds like what I should look for is a couple of females who are high energy. I figure if I get two, my chances of having at least one good mouser are increased, plus if they're from the same litter they'll be good friends and keep each other company, which I think is important.

By the way, this:
"the animal rightsers who run many shelters look down on country/rural folk who want an animal for practical reasons"
is something I really agree with. I have worked with many rescue groups, and I'm very much in favor of treating animals humanely. But I think sometimes folks take it a bit too far. While I honor and admire people who can give the best of everything to their pets and who treat them like family, I am a little bit old school in believing that it's okay just to provide a warm place to sleep, appropriate nutrition, and basic health care. And that it's also okay to expect a practical return from an animal, and to manage one's livestock in a practical manner, provided that you are also humane.

I am strongly encouraged, however, by the recent movement to try and place formerly "unadoptable" feral cats in barnyard situations. I think that is a move in the right direction.

Anyway. Down off my soapbox. Thank you all SO much for all the very helpful feedback.

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
I had two barn cats for 10 years and I don't think they did such a hot job at all. I spent more money than I wanted on cat food and because I am a real "dot the i's and cross the t's" sort, of course they had all their shots too. I still wound up having to use D-Con to get rid of my rodent problem in the barn.

Didn't want to do that but they just weren't doing the job. A friend of mine recommended Alka-Seltzer tablets to kill them but I have tried that and have seen a few mice, and have yet to see any nibbles on the tablets. And, if it is humid out, they will effervesce and self-destruct. So my mileage on that idea has been crummy.