Feeding advice for bantams (one broody, one moulting)

[Guest]

I s'pose it had to happen eventually. I think he's been in the garden for a while (if it's the same mouse!?). When DH cleared out the shed, there was some spilt bird food in there and he said a mouse went running out when he was cleaning it up.

 

It's really small and can squeeze thru the mesh of the run. It came out around dusk, while the girls were still in the run! It was running around in their run while they were in it!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

It was also running around just outside the back door so I'm terrified to go out there now in case I open the door and it runs into the house!!!

 

We take the food in at night and DH does his best to clear up any spillages but you can't get every single bit can you?

 

I've gone all queezy and am too scared to go out and close the coop door but I don't want the mouse getting in there with the girls.

 

Edited December 4, 2007 by Guest

[Egluntyne]

He will be more afraid of you than you are of him.

 

Use bicycle clips when you go out in th garden.

[Guest]

i'm going out with a torch and my pants tucked in my socks and I'm going to make some noise before i open the door- rattle the handle or something!? I literally have gone weak at the knees!

 

DH works in the countryside and I asked him to get some humane traps and then release it when he gets to work- not literally at work but in a field somewhere on the way to work- but he said "the other kind are better", so now I'm doubly upset

 

any advice about preventing them in future would be welcome but I s'pose you just can't prevent them can you???

[jomaxsmith]

I'd be pleased as punch to have mice - I've got rats running round my garden in broad daylight

 

Can't really help as all my suggestions would be poison and I know you're anti that! Sympathy though!

 

Jo

[WitchHazel]

He won't hurt you Poet, and it'snot as though he was a rat.

 

If he goes near the chickens then they are likely to try and eat him anyway, they love a bit of mouse.

[Egluntyne]

I wouldn't be worried about a little field mouse or two.

 

Rats....now that is different.

[Guest]

I'd be pleased as punch to have mice - I've got rats running round my garden in broad daylight

 

Can't really help as all my suggestions would be poison and I know you're anti that! Sympathy though!

 

Jo

 

DH won't let me do the humane thing, he's more.........pragmatic? He's going to have to deal with it, I just can't.

[Christian]

i'm going out with a torch and my pants tucked in my socks

 

Are they really big 'Bridget Jones' pants??

 

 

It is probably a field mouse, we have lots here. Shirley caught one a while ago and wolfed it down!

 

I had them in my old garden before i got chickens, they are everywhere.

[Guest]

 

It is probably a field mouse, we have lots here. Shirley caught one a while ago and wolfed it down!

 

I had them in my old garden before i got chickens, they are everywhere.

 

it's very small with quite large ears, sort of a grey/brown colour, it is very cute but I don't want it near my house or my girls, tell it to go to a field!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[The Dogmother]

I wouldn't worry Poet - as Egluntine said, the girls will probably eat it.

 

We've got lots of field mice living in the woodpile - it's a sort of wildlife habitat; the cats are always bringing them in If they leave a live one running around indoors, I catch it and hold it for a while before putting it back in the woodpile - they are just gorgeous. Unfortunately they usually shred them

[harveypup]

We have a mouse (or family of?) in the big shed.

 

It too comes out at dusk and quite often makes me jump too but they have to live somewhere and I am pleased we can provide warm accomodation at this time of year.

 

However last week I found a rather pecked looking dead one at the entrance to the run so I am not sure if we will see him again

[iChicken]

Have you thought of borrowing a friend's or neighbour's cat and putting it in the shed and garden for a couple of hours? It's cheap, saves messing about with poison or setting traps and discourages any that escape from coming back.

[Guest]

I'm a city/town girl, I'm not used to this!!!! Just been out, I was rattling the door handle and kept the torch trained on the door step (pants in socks) and just as I stepped foot outside, someone let off a firework, I nearly wet myself!

 

Then I stood in a huge dollop of chicken poo that I mentally said to myself as I came in, "be careful not to stand in that later!". Then, just as I was getting the food in, the bush rustled and a big brown leaf came blowing towards me!

 

All this over a tiny, cute, mouse but I just wish it would find a field somewhere!

 

On a serious note, it can't cause any health issues to the chooks can it?

 

DH will deal with it t'row but I'm concerned as it's been in with the girls (for god knows how long), pooing in their run and then them pecking at it and rolling around in it etc

[The Dogmother]

Just a thought, but do you keep your feed in a metal bin? Mice and rats can usually chew through plastic and paper.

[Guest]

Have you thought of borrowing a friend's or neighbour's cat and putting it in the shed and garden for a couple of hours? It's cheap, saves messing about with poison or setting traps and discourages any that escape from coming back.

 

there's loads of cats in the neighbourhood, they used to visit the garden a lot during the day but haven't seen them since we got the chooks, think they're scared of them. But, I'm sure there must be cats that visit the garden at night, maybe they need glasses!

[The Dogmother]

Shall I lend you Biscuit? He's a fearless mouser!

[feemcg]

My feed store is in the garage and when I open the garage door I usually see one scurrying across the floor - I think they eat any feed I've spilled when filling up the feeders. They don't bother me. I found a dead one in the feed store a few weeks ago too, don't know how he got in as I'm really careful about closing the doors - it's one of these plastic garden storage shed thingies

[Guest]

Just a thought, but do you keep your feed in a metal bin? Mice and rats can usually chew through plastic and paper.

 

no but it's tough plastic, will get DH to check for any holes t'row.

 

the mouse seemed to be skirting the run, hoovering up bits and pieces. We got some mixed corn recently and I think that may be what's attracted it. Am now wondering whether to stop feeding them the corn.

 

Would a mouse still eat layers mash though or pellets?

[Tessa the Duchess]

Poet wrote:

 

DH won't let me do the humane thing, he's more.........pragmatic? He's going to have to deal with it, I just can't.

 

When the house next door was gutted in order to make it into flats we were

overrun with mice which escaped from next door. I used the humane mice

traps with great success, baited them with sultanas and peanut butter and

caught the lot. I would poison a rat but not a sweet little mouse, try and

change DH's mind

 

Tessa

[Guest]

... don't know how he got in as I'm really careful about closing the doors

 

I was really careful about opening and closing the back door, gulp!

[Guest]

where's my diazepam????!!!!!!

[Guest]

 

When the house next door was gutted in order to make it into flats we were

overrun with mice which escaped from next door. I used the humane mice

traps with great success, baited them with sultanas and peanut butter and

caught the lot. I would poison a rat but not a sweet little mouse, try and

change DH's mind

 

Tessa

 

well, he'll see your reply (and mine). As I said, he works in the country so if we trapped it humanely he could easily let it loose in a hedgerow or something.

 

Ian, I know you're reading this, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease try a humane one first!!!!

[Chicken Licken]

swap you your mouse for my rats....please. I put mixed corn and bokashi in the grub with the pellets so there is less spillage on the floor. I also bring in the food at night and do not keep suppplies inmy shed (I do have rat poison down in there but they aren't stupid and avoid the blue grain!! Mousetrap with peanut butter is quick and efficient - we catch lots that way in my 92 y.o. grannie's kitchen - we tried the humane one but if she forgets to empty it it is less humane than the other ones!!

[Tessa the Duchess]

Poet wrote:

 

Ian, I know you're reading this, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease try a humane one first!!!!

 

And from me pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese, pretty pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese

 

When your DH does agree to using a humane trap and when you

catch your mouse, you can't keep it in the trap for more than an hour

or it will starve, suffocate or something nasty. You will have to keep it in

a box with holes in ujntil you can release it.

 

Tessa

[Guest]

I'd be pleased as punch to have mice - I've got rats running round my garden in broad daylight

 

 

Jo

 

 

good grief! Why, how, who, what?