The Battle Over The Chicken Shed: Me vs. the Mice

[Hidrainja4]

I have a treadle feeder to have less access to the feed. I have metal garbage cans with lids for less access to feed. I have ordered Buckeye chickens that are suppose to hunt mice. Another excuse to buy more chickens. I have snap traps for mice and rats. another idea is a small terrier that is what they were bred for. I stay away from poisons to many sad stories about poisons. good luck

 

[drmolarmagic]

Properly set snap traps have worked the best for me,
in house/garage/sheds/coop,
the old school type with the wooden base and small metal trigger mechanism.

Two key things that upped success immensely:
-Place the bait end of trap against a wall or other flat surface(like a box at least 6" tall).
-Cram some solid bait tight into trigger so they have to really dig for it.
I've found sunflower seeds or a chunk of corn from chicken scratch mix to work very well for bait.....and no more pnut butter mess.

There are various ways to protect the chickens from them...in a box with mouse sized holes down low, under a milk crate or wire basket with holes big enough for mice but too small for chickens.

Been catching mice in under-house garage and sheds(rarely in house thank goodness) for 20 years, way before chickens happened here.

I keep some always set, and am especially vigilant in spring and fall.

Thank you for this photo...I tried this set up and it worked well

 

[Al Gerhart]

Do a forum search for Howard E and find his Rats 101 post. Howard has done the most research on why we have rodent problems and how to deal with them effectively.

The short version is sanitation, exclusion, then elimination in that order.

Sanitation, clean up that food waste with a rake, get an actual ratproof treadle feeder and do your research before plunking down your money, make sure there isn't a compost pile feeding the rodents, and clean up any pathways between the coop and any cover or other building so the rodents are exposed when traveling. If they are already dug in under the coop they will move once you remove the food sources.

if that doesn't stop them in a few weeks....

Exclusion, rat proof the coop as much as possible, sometimes an impossible job. Steel wool in any gaps larger than a quarter, aluminum can be chewed through, steel cannot. Hardware cloth is your friend. Ditton on any bulk feed, in a steel barrel or metal trash can, not plastic.

When all else fails you might have to resort to poison but that means you haven't done the sanitation and exclusion properly. The problem with poison is it is never ending, new rodents move in attracted by whatever you haven't taken care of yet. Then the natural predators of the rodents are killed off too. The good news is that the poison will be taken by the rodents once you have control over the feed.

 

[PioneerChicks]

Do a forum search for Howard E and find his Rats 101 post. Howard has done the most research on why we have rodent problems and how to deal with them effectively.

The short version is sanitation, exclusion, then elimination in that order.

Sanitation, clean up that food waste with a rake, get an actual ratproof treadle feeder and do your research before plunking down your money, make sure there isn't a compost pile feeding the rodents, and clean up any pathways between the coop and any cover or other building so the rodents are exposed when traveling. If they are already dug in under the coop they will move once you remove the food sources.

if that doesn't stop them in a few weeks....

Exclusion, rat proof the coop as much as possible, sometimes an impossible job. Steel wool in any gaps larger than a quarter, aluminum can be chewed through, steel cannot. Hardware cloth is your friend. Ditton on any bulk feed, in a steel barrel or metal trash can, not plastic.

When all else fails you might have to resort to poison but that means you haven't done the sanitation and exclusion properly. The problem with poison is it is never ending, new rodents move in attracted by whatever you haven't taken care of yet. Then the natural predators of the rodents are killed off too. The good news is that the poison will be taken by the rodents once you have control over the feed.

This is really helpful, thank you!

 

[sweaterthebroodyrooster]

fox might eat a poisoned mouse

That's not a bad thing

Properly set snap traps have worked the best for me

Yes! We killed 18 mice in under one week with these

Put your feed in steel garbage cans with tight fitting lids.

We use this for our feed and it works great, just make sure the lids are on tight when it rains.

You will never ever completely get rid of mice. They'll always be around.
Rats on the other hand can be got rid of.
Mice aren't really anything to worry about.

True. I think she just wants them away from her coop though.

 

[Al Gerhart]

PioneerChicks said:
fox might eat a poisoned mouse

sweaterthebroodyrooster​

"That's not a bad thing"

Ruthless she is. Go far will this one. Read that in your best Yoda voice