Hickory Dickory Dock

If you have ever had chickens or other small farm animals that require having feed around, then you've encountered our next guest!  Yep - field mice!  They are the "clean up" crew for chicken pens.  Our pens and runs are predator resistant, but not mouse proof!  We try very hard to minimize the feed that is scratched out of the feeders by the chickens, but let's face it - there is NO WAY to avoid some feed being on the ground.  The mice dig nice tunnels from outside to inside the pens.  I have watched a grown mouse go through 1/2 inch hardware cloth.  Just when I thought I'd seen everything, I saw a mouse that started into a pen through the 1/2 inch hardware cloth and something scared it.  Before it got completely into the pen, it decided to go back out.  It didn't back up, but instead it threaded itself back through the hardware cloth, which rendered it STUCK in and out of the pen.  I am not good with the little rodents.  I am not afraid of them, but as with anything that appears from nowhere and is all under or around me - they scare me!  Our latest goal, is to set traps at night while the birds are up and see what we can catch.  I do NOT recommend this if you do not wish to know just how many rodents can tunnel into a chicken pen.  Our goal to rid ourselves of these critters has turned into a daily chore!  The larger birds and our barn cats catch and eat their fill and still we trap many many mice each day.  I am beginning to wonder just who will win this battle - THEM or US!  We are about to have to winterize our coops for the cold weather.  I wonder if they suspect that we are creating a warm cozy place for our birds, who will no doubt be happy to scratch out food all over the pens.  For any of you that are new to chickens or other small animals, I suggest you start out right.  Place mouse traps from the beginning.  Maybe if you start early and are diligent, you won't have to suffer the masses of mice!