Ho to get rid of mice in the chicken coop and run

[kcflhrc]

How to get rid of mice in the chicken coop and run

I'm sick of these **** mice tearing up insulation and crapping everywhere. Any recommendations on how to eradicate the little buggers????

 

[stan33]

I have had success in the house from the annual autumn invasion of mice, using the following methods:
1.Sticky mouse cards called 'Trapper Max'...they walk on it, get stuck and then you drown them in a bucket. You would have to put a crate with openings over the cards otherwise the chickens would get stuck and its impossible to remove anything from them once stuck including socks (I know cos I tried after I stood on one). Dab of peanut butter in the centre of the card helps. Amazon.com: Trapper Max Mouse & Insect Glue Boards-72 Boards: Industrial & Scientific
2. The 'clever mouse trap'. Dab of peanut butter on the inside cap and they are straight in, trap tips up and door closes behind them. Works much better than ordinary mousetraps. Not sure where they are for sale in the US. MOUSE TRAP : THE CLEVER MOUSE TRAP
Thinking about it, these work on being set by balance, meaning if they are knocked even slightly they will tip and close....one tap from a passing chicken and that's it, so possibly not suitable for your situation.
3. The blue blocks of poison do work a few days after the mice eat them but the chickens might get at the blocks or the crumbs the mice leave trailing about plus if the chickens eat some it could get into you via the eggs so I would avoid poison...the above 2 methods work better and quicker anyway.

 

[Looking4new]

Get a cat or 4. End of mouse problem.

 

[dmccarty]

Seal all access to the coop.

If not possible, I don't see how you will stop the mice from entering the coop in the first place.

Later,
Dan

 

[Ford850]

Set up a 5 gallon bucket trap (google it) in a corner, with fence around it to keep chickens away.
It's difficult to catch them with all the chicken feed readily available.

 

[DT86]

Glue traps mentioned above work great, however in cold weather the glue becomes less effective.

Instead of baiting the glue traps I use them at pinch points, such as at a crack in a wall they pass through. Since they have all the free food they could want (chickens are messy) I think you'll have better luck this way. Another thing I like to do is put a single deck screw through the glue trap to the floor. I have had a big mouse run off with a glue trap stuck to him and lodge himself elsewhere, die, and stink the place up.

I will say when we had chickens the rats and mice where just part of it. It was a never ending battle.

 

[Trials]

Put your chickens on steroids and train them to develop an appetite for fresh mouse.
… or rent out one of Streetcar's Cincinnati roosters for a few weeks.

 

[kcflhrc]

They already have the appetite for mice. They just cant catch them all

 

[Ford850]

They already have the appetite for mice. They just cant catch them all

That's how mine were. The smart mice survived by staying on/in the walls and in the feed room. Any mouse within pecking distance caused a riot with the chickens... first come, first served.

 

[Trials]

Is that because of fast mice ? :mouse: or slow chickens ? :chicken:


… you just need to find a way to slow the mice down
maybe put little mouse speed bumps along the edge of the wall.

 

[tallyho8]

My 4 barn cats keep the mice population down and never bother the chickens. Now if I could just stop the rat snakes from getting my chickens.....

 

[Egon]

Guinea hens and or cats.

 

[check]

How about some good old-fashioned mouse traps? I like the modern black plastic snap traps that you can reset with one hand.

 

[japody]

Simplest solution for getting rid of mice - peppermint oil! The little buggers can't stand the smell. Dab some peppermint oil on cotton balls and place them strategically around. In a coop, you can punch holes in a can and place the cotton balls in the cans. You'll also have the best smelling chicken coop in the county! You can get the oil in health food stores. It's not cheap, but a little goes a long way. We had mice in the house all the time. Now I use it in the crawl space under the house and in the attic. No more mice.

 

[kcflhrc]

How about some good old-fashioned mouse traps? I like the modern black plastic snap traps that you can reset with one hand.

Not a real good idea with chickens around

 

[kcflhrc]

Simplest solution for getting rid of mice - peppermint oil! The little buggers can't stand the smell. Dab some peppermint oil on cotton balls and place them strategically around. In a coop, you can punch holes in a can and place the cotton balls in the cans. You'll also have the best smelling chicken coop in the county! You can get the oil in health food stores. It's not cheap, but a little goes a long way. We had mice in the house all the time. Now I use it in the crawl space under the house and in the attic. No more mice.

Worth a shot,

Thanks

 

[check]

Not a real good idea with chickens around

No problem. Just put them inside a little wire cage or box or something.