[andreadon]

We definitely have mice in the run annd they have been there for quite a while now.

We have set an humane trap (because i don't like killing things).
But it has only ever caught one (today!)

Now, Erica will catch and eat mice, so we know they aren't a problem to their digestion, but my question is:
what danger can they pose to the health of the chickens?
We put their food out of reach every night, but this morning I found mouse droppings in the container (that's the first time that's happened and the mice have been around ages)
Can they catch anything nasty from the droppings? 
(I know that rats have weils disease, but we can't find any info about diseases mice might carry)

It has become quite an important question now because of the droppings and I don't want to have to resort to poison...

[poultrygeist]

It would seem from a google search that they can transmit salmonella, leptospirosis and Lyme's disease through their droppings.
I don't know if the last two are a threat to chickens but I wouldn't have thought that salmonella is a good thing to expose them to.

I would either try to remove the food completely at night or use poison or a more effective trap. I saw a mouse outside our run a couple of months ago but have seen no signs inside the run so didn't bother about it. But if I find any droppings, I'll have to resort to traps/poison. Like you, I don't like doing it but needs must.

Rob

[andreadon]

thanks rob.
of course, they will still poo all over the floor and the chickies will pick it up when they're scratching.
 
Adam's been out there trying to hit them with stones and stuff!
he has no qualms about killing them...

[upert]

who on earth is erica?

[too many girls]

who on earth is erica?

that's what i thought, it's not a daughter i hope?

[karlooben]

i reckon its the cat 

[raeburg]

I bet she's a chicken.  Mine killed a mouse yesterday but didn't bother to eat it!  They left it for me to find!

[andreadon]

she's a chicken! 

can you imagine a daughter eating a mouse??!   
 

[treacleminer]

 

can you imagine a daughter eating a mouse??!   
 

Fried as a cure for whooping cough??

& No we haven't tried it

[nicchick]

My friend ate a mouse when he was small and only found out about it later in life! He seems to be quite normal. Nic.

[Jellyhead]

The problems that we had when we had mice were that they attracted RATS so then it was a problem cos they ate some of my lovely chooks.
So, be aware and although I don't like killing things either I admit now that I just have to put poison down (in safe places only) to get rid of mice and rats

[andreadon]

thanks.

I must admit, the main reason I'm worried abotu the poison is that if the mice dont die when they're in the trap or if they die in the run during the day, that Erica will eat one and then be poisoned herself - I realise now that that was the main reason I mentioned her i the first place   

Is there a poison that will kill the mice but not transfer to the chickens?

it'd be so much easier if they weren't all so greedy and didn't eat everything in sight!

[Foxy]

thanks.

I must admit, the main reason I'm worried abotu the poison is that if the mice dont die when they're in the trap or if they die in the run during the day, that Erica will eat one and then be poisoned herself - I realise now that that was the main reason I mentioned her i the first place   

Is there a poison that will kill the mice but not transfer to the chickens?

it'd be so much easier if they weren't all so greedy and didn't eat everything in sight!

Yes there is Andrea -and it is recommended by the owl trust. It is called eradibait, it is host specific. I use it because we have a lot of wildlife plus some daft moggies!

http://www.eradibait.com/

[andreadon]

brilliant: foxy, you're a genius!

[Vember]

I popped some of that down a while ago, not seen sight nor sound of any nasties for a while now  - she says touching wood quickly


Sarah