Official BYC Poll: How Do You Keep Rodents Away From Your Coop?

[WallyG74]

If the mice can get past all the hawks, then our big tomcat will make quick work of them. In 14 years of living at our current location I’ve seen 2 mice and I’m pretty sure they hitched a ride with us to get there during moving.

 

[MROO]

Rodents aren't good to have around your chickens as they carry diseases and can really wreck your coop and your chicken's food and water. Given the opportunity, rodents can wreak havoc on a poultry farm especially when they target the small, vulnerable chicks. They also love stealing chicken eggs and if you find an empty eggshell with a smallish hole on the side, chances are it was a rodent's handiwork. It's best to do your best efforts and your coop and run rodent-free.

So we want to find out: How Do You Keep Rodents Away From Your Coop?

Please place your vote above, and elaborate in a reply below if you chose "Other".

View attachment 2778622

Further Reading:

• Keeping your Coop Mite and Rodents Free
• How To Protect Your Chickens From Mice
• How To Protect Your Chickens From Rats

(Check out more Official BYC Polls HERE!)

My main weapon of defense is a REALLY big Black Jersey Giant who has developed a taste for pinkies. She hunts!

 

[Ascholten]

So far I have not noticed any real problem. I have rat traps in places, electricity in other places, and snakes around the house that seem to take care of pretty much everything else.

I also have seen where the girls WILL tear the heck out of pinkies / fuzzy's they catch too so, the rats / mice really don't have much of a chance. Now if only I could teach the girls to dig up and eat those moles that tear everything up we'd have a MUCH more Love . Love relationship

Aaron

 

[Anime2lover]

We use traps and our chickens just love small furry/scaly critters as a side snack. But we're also raising future mousers to. Two adorable kittens.

 

[Ascholten]

make sure to keep your kitty hungry or it'll just be a fat freeloading expensive food eating do nothing extra mouth to feed. . Hmm sounds like some relatives I know

Aaron

 

[JamesLimberakis]

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Rodents aren't good to have around your chickens as they carry diseases and can really wreck your coop and your chicken's food and water. Given the opportunity, rodents can wreak havoc on a poultry farm especially when they target the small, vulnerable chicks. They also love stealing chicken eggs and if you find an empty eggshell with a smallish hole on the side, chances are it was a rodent's handiwork. It's best to do your best efforts and your coop and run rodent-free.

So we want to find out: How Do You Keep Rodents Away From Your Coop?

Please place your vote above, and elaborate in a reply below if you chose "Other".

View attachment 2778622

Further Reading:

• Keeping your Coop Mite and Rodents Free
• How To Protect Your Chickens From Mice
• How To Protect Your Chickens From Rats

(Check out more Official BYC Polls HERE!)

personally, I'll typically set a Havahart trap and get it with a pellet gun in the morning, or ill sit and wait for them with a pellet gun. (they have a clean coop, its just a house across the street is abandoned and they come for the feed in a galvanized bucket.)

 

[Ineke9909]

We built our coop with hardware cloth instead of chicken wire, made sure there were no holes for the critters to get in the run. There are lots of mice here in the forest, and we catch them regularly with traps, but so far no sign of them getting in the coop or run

 

[AOrchard]

I have barn cats which help in general, but they aren't allowed in the actual barn as I have quails in there, so I use a live trap in the barn and then feed the mice to the indoor cats. I put it out once a month or so and catch 5-10 at a shot.

 

[cluckcluckhens]

We live in rural and woods are across the street and to the side of our place. We also have a stream of water not far from our place.

We don't do anything to keep our chickens safe. One problem in only nine years. Hubby took care of this problem at 4 am one morning. Chickens all ran out of the coop at this time of morning. It was dark except our security light that lights up our run and coop area. I can say the pee-U still smells after many months. I could not believe the chickens came running out without knowing where to run in the dark. I heard that they can't see in the dark so it was strange to see them all coming out at this time.

Chickens feed and treats is on our deck to the house. No where near the coop. We leave their feed and water outside by the chicken door all the time. Most animals that show up is squirrels. Mice show up inside the house in the winter and cats will watch them very quietly. I never saw a rat here but mice we do. Neighbor lets their dog out early in the morning when it is dark. He also comes around our run and coop so maybe that is why we don't have critters. Except one months ago. No coons, or possums but they are up the hill from us just not around our area. Wild cats run free in and around our area. People drop off cats our here all the time.

 

[LizzzyJo]

My henhouse is raised 3 feet off the ground and closed like fort knox every night. Food is in a black sealed container. **knock on wood** no rodents ever.