Rodent control

Tang · **Joined:** Thu Jul 07, 2011 6:45 pm **Posts:** 2

What sort of rodent control should I use around my chickens coop. I have discovered an out break of mice and I thought of baits but worried about secondary poisoning and the dogs finding the bait. Do the people here use the baits and if you do how do you place them and do you use bait boxes or something to protect the other animals and birds. I have found the Tomcat Rat & Mouse Bait that comes in a station but they are not that cheap and not sure how well they work?

wickedwings · **Posted:** Fri Jul 08, 2011 9:31 am

I have been using mousetraps around my feed storage with reasonable success, yes I lose some bait but I catch a few mice as well, and what I catch goes straight to the chooks for extra protein. Mmm, yummy!

Hens and Hobbits · **Posted:** Fri Jul 08, 2011 9:54 am

Sticky toffee on mouse traps are very effective. The local $2 shops sell mouse and rat traps. Bunnings have a variety of bait and bait boxes. The neighbour's cat also helps out, as there seems to be a bit of a plague this winter.

wickedwings · **Posted:** Fri Jul 08, 2011 10:58 am

Toffee could be good, I'll give that a try. I have been using sultanas.

RPoultry · **Joined:** Thu May 27, 2010 9:40 pm **Posts:** 933

You would want to be careful that the mice that have been caught in the snap traps have not eaten bait, before you frrd them to the chookc, im sure you are aware of this, i just thought i would mention it

wickedwings · **Posted:** Fri Jul 08, 2011 11:52 am

Thanks for the advice, I had considered that but I only bait in the roof of the house and the chook shed is well removed from there.

RPoultry · **Joined:** Thu May 27, 2010 9:40 pm **Posts:** 933

KK, just making sure, didnt want there to be any deaths :-|

Tang · **Joined:** Thu Jul 07, 2011 6:45 pm **Posts:** 2

Thanks for the advice the trouble with traps is they only get one at a time bait can kill many and I don't have to check the baits everyday. Is the a trap that can catch more than one?

Hens and Hobbits · **Posted:** Sat Jul 09, 2011 10:28 am

We had a round trap about the diameter of a saucer that caught the mice live, except that they eventually worked out how to take the bait and escape. It was expensive and a waste of money.

I think that the old fashioned mouse traps are the most successful. Bunnings do have a large variety of baits and traps. I guess that it is all personal choice and what works best for your situation.

wickedwings · **Posted:** Sat Jul 09, 2011 6:05 pm

To catch more than one, I've seen pictures of a trap based on a bucket. The bait is fixed above the bucket and there is a balanced beam or plank leading from one edge of the bucket towards the bait, there is a ladder or ramp leading from the ground up to the edge of the bucket so the vermin can get onto the plank. The theory goes that the mouse ventures up the ramp and onto the balance beam towards the bait, as it approaches the bait it's weight at the end of the beam causes the beam to tip and the mouse should fall into the bucket. You would have to tinker a little bit with the balance point for the beam as it will need to tip with the weight of the mouse on the bait end but have sufficient weight at the beginning to return it to the start position so the next victim can walk the plank. I would suggest you'd need a deep bucket as mice can jump a fair height to escape. The last problem you would have is to dispose of the live mice caught in the bucket, though I suppose you could leave it part full of water and drown the little blighters. I'll see if I can find a picture.

AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

Rodent control

Who is on the Forum