The Poultry Keeper

fletch · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 9:51 pm Post subject: WHAT TO DO ABOUT MICE

This morning one of our hens came racing out from behind the shed with a field mouse, I caught her but she had dispatched it at that point & wasn't keen to let go of it, so I put her back down & she ran off & gobbled it up much to our surprise. I had noticed that their had been a mouse in the shed as I found bits of shredded material & droppings a day or two ago but I thought that this was the end of it!

This evening as I was securing the hens I noticed another field mouse running in & out of the coup grabbing left overs with one of our white rangers hunting it. After a short discussion about what to do about it with my better half I decided to take it out with the air rifle. I hit it with the first shot at 3-4 mtrs but it wasn't clean & the mouse riggled away & suffered for a few minutes before dying, whats worse I could see it but couldn't get to it either to shoot it or finish it in any other way.

Now, I hate killing anything but as we live on a residential estate we didn't want it becoming a problem for our neighbours. I'm sort of regretting what I did now, but I appreciate that we may have a problem, what I'd like to know is how bad a problem is this likely to get & which is the best way to humanly get rid of them preferably by sparing their lives? Confused

james419 · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:29 am Post subject:

Dont feel guilty - when you have chicken you will find furry critters looking for a free meal, we have 3 sonic rat detterents and they have drastically reduced our furry friend population, if the chicken kill them - an easier solution than you having to shoot them.

Last year we tried traps - caught a few but more just moved in - we cant use poison as be have 4 dogs and 2 cats.

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7153 Location: isle of lewis

if you get some pipe as in round pipes down pipes to guttering's Question

you can put traps in them ,that way the animals and chickens will not get hurt ,you will not take out many with a gun as you'll have to be there to do it ,if you put them along walls that's where mice tend to run

EGirl · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 1117 Location: Dublin, Ireland

Our cat looks after most of the mice we get. I believe the sonic things are quite good, my friend swears by hers. On the upside, if you have mice, you don't have rats - or so I believe!

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1356 Location: Leicestershire

james419 · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 6:06 am Post subject:

In france we can buy sonic rat deterrents - and they do work - last year we had a problem in the stable and the garage, the garage rats moved out within 48 hours and this year the problem in the stable is down by almost 100% - have seen 2 this spring last year they were all over the place - they may be available in the UK only cost £5-6 and well worth it

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2128 Location: North Cornwall

Ive posted this before and I know none of you believe it works but it does. Rolling Eyes

Right, fill a bucket with wheat to about 4inches of the top so mice can get in and out. Sprinkle a bit of straw or savings on the top, but not to much, dont cover all the wheat. Leave in a place where they will find it and feed. When you know they are feeding tip the wheat out, refill with water to the same height, sprinkle a little wheat and straw-or savings-ontop of the water. When mice come to feed that night,PLOP, takes no prisoners. When you stop catching mice start again.

Tarka · Joined: 21 Dec 2007 Posts: 323

Shouldn't all animals live side by side Cool

CP · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 4:02 pm Post subject:

Err.....

Tarka · Joined: 21 Dec 2007 Posts: 323

Only in a perfect world Cool

I catch mice in a humane mouse trap and drive them to the woods in hope they'll be safe from humans that can't cope with them living in harmony close by Laughing

Its rats that im not so keen on Sad

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1356 Location: Leicestershire

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7153 Location: isle of lewis

unfortunately they then become someday else problem
cats ,muscoveys and goats water bucket seem to account for mine if that doesn't get them the snap trap and poison tends to

danro · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 11:59 am Post subject:

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1331 Location: Manchester

I'm pretty sure 'vermin' can be released, it's just non indigenous animals that cause harm to our ecosystem that can't, mink, squirrel etc.

jjbull · Joined: 24 Apr 2008 Posts: 8

im sure that you cant relocate vermin once they have been trapped