Mice in Chicken Coop and Run Area

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Cheshire Chick
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Mice in Chicken Coop and Run Area

Post by Cheshire Chick »

Hi All. I have occasionally seen the odd mouse in the chicken run, but have not been overly concerned. Last night my husband said he saw quite a few running around the run and said we need to get rid of them. I obviously don't want to use poison because of the chooks and the cats, but I don't want an epidemic and especially don't want any rats. Has anyone used Peppermint Oil Spray before? I have read that rodents hate the smell and it is meant to deter them. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Cheshire Chick
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Re: Mice in Chicken Coop and Run Area

Post by Cheshire Chick »

To continue on this note (i.e. mice). Can anyone recommend a rodent proof feeder? I have the plastic type, but I also put in a plastic container filled with pellets as my girls like to eat them wet as well. This I feel will be adding to my problems as they tip over the plastic container so the food goes all on the coop floor. Going to just give them the plastic feeder I think for now and this will be more economical as I get a lot of spillage. I would be interested to know what type of feeders you feel are the best. Thank you.
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KathJ
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Re: Mice in Chicken Coop and Run Area

Post by KathJ »

Oooh, that's interesting. I'd like to know too as we do have a rat at the moment which is so far evading the trap. We've even had occasion where he's taken the bait but not set off the trap. We've filled every hole we can find in the chicken shed but Roland is still a regular visitor yike*
Kath xx

Mum to my beautiful girls Lucy, Holly, Rosie, Hettie, Polly, Ruby, Lily, Penny, Gracie, Maisie, Molly, Evie and my gorgeous boy Toby

RIP my beautiful Ranger, Roxy, Bluebelle, Poppy, Speckle, Daisy and Honey xxxx
Gwenoakes
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Re: Mice in Chicken Coop and Run Area

Post by Gwenoakes »

I have tried various methods re rats and mice. Having horses seems to entice the little blighters even more than living opposite a corn barn.
I finally resorted to poison a few years ago as we were over run, did not like doing it, but needs must. Have found also that putting a regular supply down is the way for us to go too. We put ours in down pipes then large stones either end to stop anything else going in other than the rodents, works for us.
Good luck.
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Mo
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Re: Mice in Chicken Coop and Run Area

Post by Mo »

You could bring the feeder in at night. Or shut it if the top comes down.
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HedgeHugger
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Re: Mice in Chicken Coop and Run Area

Post by HedgeHugger »

You mentioned cat, not a mouser then?

I used poison on rats, after trying to be humane about the whole thing.
I had success catching a young one with a swing bin, a plank and peanut butter.
The live trap I bought has caught absolutely 0 rats.
I had a conversation (one way) with the rats telling them that if they didn't sod orf I was going to be horrible and buy poison. They stayed, I managed to poison some, felt really bad about it. Rats went away for a while.
Rats came back, Bought more poison. One of the rats must have scoffed a box and a half, and survived!! yike*

I let it live, with the idea that they only live a couple of years. The poor sausage has recently died, probably (hooray!), but his last weeks, he showed his age. Slow moving, going bald. I would open the shed to get the cover for the coop to find him all curled up snoozing in an old quilt in there. Haven't seen him around for about a month now, so guessing dead.

Some voles have moved in now though.

And a sodding rat ate a hole in my pond liner. We think it happened in the frozen weather, to get to the non-frozen water deeper down!
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kitla
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Re: Mice in Chicken Coop and Run Area

Post by kitla »

I have quite a few mice in the run, like you I worried about them multiplying to ridiculous numbers, but it's never really happened. I take the food in at night & my hens have a metal trough that cuts down spillage, blind Giblet's food pots are a bit messier so more popular with the mice - this is my one of my favourite pics!
Image
I do have an electric rat trap -battery operated, that I bought as a last resort for a persistant rat problem. I didnt get any rats with it but it did inadvertently kill several mice, and its alot more humane than poison.
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jaxhen
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Re: Mice in Chicken Coop and Run Area

Post by jaxhen »

Love that picture of the mice, but rather not have them anywhere near food!

Food always brought in at night. We use the green & white feeders with an anti-scratch ring in them, hung up so the feed trough is level with hen's back. Any container put on the floor either gets knocked over or woodchip kicked into it as my girls are very good diggers. When I feed them wetted pellet 'porridge', I use a stainless steel anti-tip pet bowl on a very small plastic stepstool. They have very good table manners. :-D

I posted about a battery operated mouse trap on Jan 31st. Update - it continued to catch mice until we caught them all or put them off coming into the run. It's now in the hedgehog feeding station where it does a good job and doesn't deter the hogs coming in to feed. {hog}
Cheshire Chick
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Re: Mice in Chicken Coop and Run Area

Post by Cheshire Chick »

Thanks guys (and girls) for your input on this subject (much appreciated). The food is definitely going to come in at night and I am going to look into some better feeders. Also going to have a read about battery operated traps - thanks for that jaxhen.
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KathJ
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Re: Mice in Chicken Coop and Run Area

Post by KathJ »

We take the food in at night during the week but at the weekend we like to have a bit of a lie in and the girls come out with the automatic door so we have to leave it out then and shortly they'll be getting up before us even during the week so it will have to stay out then. No sign of Roland the last couple of nights anyway, we left the trap outside where we think he's been coming in but the bait hasn't been touched either. Maybe he's moved on >fi<
Kath xx

Mum to my beautiful girls Lucy, Holly, Rosie, Hettie, Polly, Ruby, Lily, Penny, Gracie, Maisie, Molly, Evie and my gorgeous boy Toby

RIP my beautiful Ranger, Roxy, Bluebelle, Poppy, Speckle, Daisy and Honey xxxx
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kitla
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Re: Mice in Chicken Coop and Run Area

Post by kitla »

Be careful, last time I set the cage trap actually in the garden I caught a poor hedgehog!
(was ok though)
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Richard
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Re: Mice in Chicken Coop and Run Area

Post by Richard »

I agree food is the key.

Thing is mouse and rats are quite territorial, so sometimes it a case of better the devil you know than the devil you don't.

Get rid of one family and another turns up, usually pretty much instantly !!

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Cheshire Chick
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Re: Mice in Chicken Coop and Run Area

Post by Cheshire Chick »

Now your scaring me Richard!!!!!
Cheshire Chick
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Re: Mice in Chicken Coop and Run Area

Post by Cheshire Chick »

I would be interested to know what type of feeders people use. I am looking for something that will not spill easily. The treadle types look good, but I am not sure if my girls would get used to them. I have seen one on-line called "Pest Off" by Homgar that claims to be rodent proof. It is quite expensive, but looks good and I wondered if anyone had had any experience with this particular feeder? Thanks for your comments.
scbk
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Re: Mice in Chicken Coop and Run Area

Post by scbk »

Given half a chance, my hybrid hens would go for a mouse! I've been using a "trigger happy" feeder successfully for a good few years now, although a little gets spilt, in general there's nothing left for rodents to eat so no problems on that front.

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