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[stoice]

Hi guys

 

Had my girls for almost 6 weeks now.

Just thought I'd ask about people's tips for deterring vermin.

 

I've noticed a mouse in our compost heap yesterday (The plastic bin sort) so I know they are in the garden, I take the chooks feed in at night once they have gone to bed but am worried about a rodent infestation! The girls live in half of my shed so their feed is kept in the other half (In plastic tubs) with other gardening equipment. So I'm a little worried rats/mice could get in or live under the shed and feast on any missed tit-bits left in the run. Do those mice/rat sensor scarer things work? As i have no power in the shed does any one know of a battery operated one? Are they ok to use near the chickens or will they give the girls a permanent headache!! LOL. Do the 'all in one' versions for rats/mice/foxes/cats work? If I could deter foxes aswell as rodents that would be useful. My pen is made of chicken wire and after reading on this forum about how Mr Fox would make mince meat of it, it has me a little worried.

While we're on the anti-vermin subject, does anyone know of good fly deterrents/traps? I've got a type of citronella deterrent thing and saw three blue bottles sitting on it the other day! They're mocking me!!

 

Thanks for any ideas

[surferdog]

Hi there and welcome We had a problem with mice when we first got our girls (the mice were in a neighbours garden before we got chickens but decided to move in when they found a nice supply of chicken food ) OH cleared them by using old fashioned mouse traps and it also helped that the neighbour from whose garden they originated eventually called in Rentakil. We put down traps overnight now and again just to make sure but have caught nothing recently. (Make sure you remove any traps before you let the chooks out if the traps are in the run.)

 

I'm paranoid about rats so all the weldmesh in our run is concreted into the ground all the way round. Unfortunately mice are small enough to get through the mesh.

 

We've not had a problem with flies (touches wood quickly) and I just use citronella at the moment but I hear the redtop Fli-traps are pretty good for keeping them away.

[stoice]

I've seen a cat/dog/fox scatterer that I may buy to ease my mind about my girls being on the menu.

 

The fly issue has resolved a little in the wetter weather but am going to try some bokashi anyway so they shouldn't whiff as much to attract any flies.

 

As for the mice/rat thing, I may get traps, feel a little bad killing the blighters though, just wish they weren't around (I noticed a few marigolds had been nibbled too! Rah)

 

Thanks

[kaylis1980]

so far i havent had a hug problem with rates/mice although there was evidence of them before we got our chooks.

 

however for flys, i am LOVING the flitrap www.flitrap.com you could try searching on here using the search facility- im seeing great improvement about 2 weeks in, and they last really quite a long time.

[Hen Watch]

Metal feed bins might be a good for pellet storage. Not sure if it is feasible with your hen housing, but can you could raise it a bit off the ground so mice can't live under it?

 

I think it is best to keep a compost heap in constant use (ie. chucking stuff in regularily as mice then can't live in it undisturbed). Keep it wet (not nice and dry) and put a mesh underneath it so they can't burrow in.

 

I use Garlic Powder in the chook feed to reduce the poop smell. It doesn't stop flies but it helps. On a very few hot days last year, I have used a few drops of citronella oil on kitchen paper tucked away high in the run so the chooks so they can't peck it. But find regular poop collection where they free range is the best option for me to reduce flies.

 

I buy Citronella Oil from here:

http://www.neph-aromatics.co.uk/essential_c.htm#citronella