Chicks and Mice?

[Chicks Galore3]

I moved my chicks down to the basement today...and saw a mouse! I haven't seen one down there in forever. Would a mouse hurt my chicks at all?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

How old are your chicks? Rodents of any size can/will bite and consume anything unable to defend itself (ie small chicks) - however larger more mature chicks and adult chickens can/will kill and consume a mouse. Are the chicks in a fully enclosed brooder? If so, what is the brooder constructed of? Keep in mind that for every mouse you see, there are plenty you don't - and the presence of the chicks (more specifically their feed) will attract the mice and only serve to boost the chance that there will be a mouse/chick encounter.

 

[Chicks Galore3]

They are 19 days old. They are in wooden broody without a top and probably not mouse proof.

 

[Sonya9]

They are 19 days old. They are in wooden broody without a top and probably not mouse proof.

Well mouse proof the top. I doubt if a mouse will eat through the wood sides all that quickly, they have been living in your basement and obviously have other sources of food.

If the top is open it may depend on how many chicks you have.

 

[Chicks Galore3]

I have 4 standard and 4 bantam.

 

[tracytheone]

mice are mainly veggie and grain eaters . i have rats in my garden and going to get some bait etc i have netherland dwarf rabbits plus 2 french lop crosses and the cheeky devils will go in with them and eat there food but they havent harmed the rabbits even the tiny ones. theve never harmed any of the rabbits or hens even the babies i hatched. i think if theres food there rats or mice wont kill another animal and will go for the food. i have some big rats in my garden!. they do spread disease tho so def best to get rid if u can xx

 

[cblakley0531]

We are starting to have a mouse problem too! I saw fresh mouse poo in the room they are brooding in but it was at the opposite end of the room from the brooder. I don't think they're a problem yet but I've been keeping an eye out!

 

[Athena116699]

I just posted in another forum with no replies. I am new and getting my chicks very soon, maybe tomorrow, but I have found mice like all at once in just this last week. Didn't have any before but they are piling fresh hay bales right next to my place only a few feet away...maybe 50 feet. The mice are getting really bad, they are fat and tonight I saw one on my counter. I am picking up the dog food because I saw them trying to eat that, they ate threw the bag! I'm not sure how many are in my home, but they are everywhere!!!

kitchen, front room and saw one run in my bedroom closet....and the room where I am going to keep my chicks. Please help, I don't know what to do. My brooder is a small plastic pool with a heat lamp. It is definitely not mouse proof. Should I put off getting my baby chicks? That would break my heart. I've been working on and studying everything I can for over 6 months. I don't think the mice are going to go away. They are huge, fat. But the poo looks like mouse not rat...thank goodness.

 

[gander007]

You should do all you can to remove the mice and yes mice can hurt or kill chicks and hurt adult chickens as well ...

Make sure the brooder is secure ...

 

[donrae]

I honestly don't think a mouse would hurt a chick. I'd go ahead and get the chicks, and really bear down on getting rid of the mice. D-con, cats, buckets of water with bait suspended, those are all easy ways to cut the population.