Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[gavclojak]

Well the title sums it up, just seen a mouse on the girls enclosure helping itself to the crumb the girls have dropped. I ran up and it scurried off. Should I worry? Will the girls bother about it? Oh and FYI it came from under the fence, the only part without slabs(they are going down this weekend) x

[Lavenders_Blue]

The hens will probably eat it if they're quick enough to catch it

[gavclojak]

Without sounding gross, i would pay to see that!!

[Lavenders_Blue]

Plenty of us on here have witnessed our chooks devouring a mouse (/frog/small bird). Just bide your time - it's bound to happen sooner or later!

[gavclojak]

I might lend the girls to my friend who has an infestation in her amazingly clean house:) at least mine is just in the garden:((

[gavclojak]

Ok so he has been back again, once spotted I expected my girls to go for an all out assault.but no, alas they seemed terrified of the said mouse! What do I do, he gets through the teeny tiny gaps in the fence...

[Lavenders_Blue]

Traps outside the run (bait or snap trap depending how squeamish you are) and block entry to the run so he has to take the bait if he wants to eat.

[gavclojak]

The problem I have is the run is Permanently open with access to a large enclosure. He is coming through gaps I didn't even know we're there and as soon as I block one it finds another gap, strangely onlybstarted since using mash instead of crumb?

[Lavenders_Blue]

The mash is perhaps being chucked around a bit more than the crumb? That would be tempting to a wee mousey.

[gavclojak]

Mmm thats what I thought, they do make a mess with it, feel pellets coming on but now he knows they are there he might spread the word:(((

It won't be able to get in the cube when it's shut for the evening will it? Panicking now

[Lavenders_Blue]

I don't think he should be able to get into the cube, but he won't cause the chooks any harm if he does.

[Chickybaby]

I've had wild mice for years and never had any problems. They live under my shed and I see them in the chicken run occassionally helping themselves to food. My chickens don't take any notice of them and as long as they stay up that end of the garden and don't venture in to the house them I'm happy to leave them as they are.

[gavclojak]

I didn't mind too much until i found one in the littler tray of the cube, enough is enough so i spent the weekend blocking all access. they are coming in from next door's massive compost heap which buff's up against my fence and their garden is very quiet at the moment as they go away for the whole summer possibly making little mousey a tad braver. have not seen one for two days but he could be working out how to breach my fortress