The chicken ate the mouse - is it dangerous or not

Mice are known to love visiting chicken coops. They are warm and cozy, and there is an abundance of food and materials for building nests. However, a meeting of a mouse with a chicken or several does not end in favor of a small rodent if it fails to escape. A large mouse will be torn to pieces by a group of hens.

Scientists have proven that modern quods are descended from the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex, based on the similarity of their skeletons and analysis of the DNA code of proteins. Although visually far from their formidable progenitor, chickens have not lost their propensity to hunt - they eat mice, lizards and even snakes. The question is different, how the feast can end.

Chickens are opportunistic eaters and will be more than happy to eat any mouse or baby in a mouse nest if they find one. On the one hand, if the mice are healthy, there is no harm to chickens. Mice are also rich in protein and calcium, providing additional nutritional value. Eating mice will not make chickens sick unless the hen is sick or has eaten some of the poison that you have prepared and scattered for them. Therefore, it is not recommended to scatter toxic pellets from mice when there are other animals on the farm. Poisoned mice will produce a domino effect. Even if the chicken does not die, the poison will be transmitted through the meat and eggs.

Mice can infect your herd and you with salmonellosis, contaminating feed, water and bedding, carrying parasites and helminths.

Hence the question - how to get rid of mice in the chicken coop? It's a comprehensive strategy, and here's what you can do.

Remove food and water from mice

It is logical that mice come to the chicken coop in search of food. The fact that drinking bowls are often nearby and easily accessible makes dining even more comfortable.

First of all, block access to food and water. You can buy a feeder that doesn't open until the chickens step on it, or measure your food carefully so the birds don't leave a lot of leftovers for the mice. Store food in a sturdy tank or in an old refrigerator, not in bags or bags.

Empty drinkers at night and refill them in the morning. Firstly, this is a good rule for the freshness of the water, and secondly, drinkers with a spout are not a difficult task for mice. Remember what kind of drinkers you saw in a pet store in a mouse cage. The mouse will quickly learn to drink from the same stuff that the chicken drinks from. The only way to make sure the mice don't drink chicken water at night (chickens sleep very soundly at night) is to pour it out.

Bucket traps

The mouse trap bucket is a simple 20 liter bucket filled with water. The secret of the trap is to cover the surface with a thick layer of seeds or inshell peanuts - let them float on top, hiding the fatal water. Lean a plank against the bucket as a small rodent ladder. For those who do not want mice to die by drowning, there is a humane option. Buy a bucket with a lid, move the lid partially, and sprinkle a little shavings and goodies on the bottom. The mice will fall down, eat and burrow into the shavings. Then they can be taken away.

Neatness and Mint

Probably, you periodically close up any cracks or holes where mice can crawl through. The problem is that they gnaw through most materials. However, the cleaner and tidier the chicken coop and surrounding area is kept, the less attractive it is to mice.

Rodents don't like mint very much, so it makes sense to surround the chicken coop with mint lawn (this plant is invasive and spreads very quickly) and mow it regularly with a lawn mower. Cuts can be sprinkled on the bedding or nest boxes. However, mint thickets are also good - chickens like to hide there in the heat if you have sown tall varieties.

Finally, the number one remedy for mice is an abmar cat. Most cats get used to chickens, make friends with them and do not hunt chickens with proper care.