Do you have mice or rats eating your chickens feed or snacking on your hen's eggs? You can control rodent problems by moving your coop regularly, using a chicken tractor, utilizing bait stations, or getting a good cat that is a mouser. You can get rid of rodents (mice, rats, and other rodents) using the following tips.

Rats, mice and other rodents are very dangerous to your chickens because not only do rodents carry diseases, fleas, lice, mites, and often rabies but they also eat eggs, bite chickens (a mouse or rat bite can paralyze a chicken so they cannot walk-permanently) and consume incredible amounts of chicken feed, spray urine on feed, bedding, floors, walls, and nest boxes, and to top it all off rats and mice, rats and other rodents attract snakes to your chicken coop which is an even bigger threat to your chickens and eggs. Getting rid of rats, mice, gophers, and other rodents, can significantly reduce feed loss. If you see one, there are more than likely hundreds more because rats & mice multiply at an alarming rate-reproducing monthly with litters of 10-19 new babies. If left unchecked they will make huge nests in, under and around the hen house and chew holes in the floor and base of the building.The nests are smelly and the mother is very protective of her young who may venture near your chickens or worse your chickens may find the nest and try to eat the babies and if the mother catches them she will attack the bird who simply thinks she has found a bigger insect to eat. Getting rid of mice and rats can be quite tricky as poison and traps can be dangerous to your chickens if not used properly.
One of the easiest ways to get rid of rodents is to raise a cat inside your chicken coop and run but never keep baby chicks or smaller bantam chicken breeds, in the same area as your cat. Even a well behaved cat cannot resist the temptation of the jerky movements baby chicks make. Some dogs will also aid in rodent control, such as the Jack Russel breed. The best way to prevent rodent infestations is to use a chicken tractor which can be moved every two weeks.
Things you can do to make your chicken coop less attractive to rodents are:
One of the easiest ways to get rid of rodents is to raise a cat inside your chicken coop and run but never keep baby chicks or smaller bantam chicken breeds, in the same area as your cat. Even a well behaved cat cannot resist the temptation of the jerky movements baby chicks make. Some dogs will also aid in rodent control, such as the Jack Russel breed. The best way to prevent rodent infestations is to use a chicken tractor which can be moved every two weeks.
Things you can do to make your chicken coop less attractive to rodents are:
- Remove or cover things that attract rodents such as chicken feed, piles of wood, trash, debris, and standing water.
- Do not keep feed inside the chicken coop. If you do keep feed inside your hen house then it should be covered at night so rodents cannot access it. Hopefully, someone will soon invent solar, battery operated, electric powered chicken feeders on a timer, that open at dawn and close in the evening, like they do chicken doors. As soon as they do I will be sure to get one, try it, and do a product review on it for you.
- Make sure all of your hens eggs are removed from the coop before you lock it up each night.
- Plant herbs around your coop to deter rodents such as peppermint, cloves, and lavender and use herbs inside the coop as well.
- Keep bedding clean and dry.
- Bait stations-Poisoned bait stations can be dangerous to your chickens if not used safely. I have found that there is a few huge problems with using bait stations inside or around your chicken coop. Bait stations should be placed outside of runs and away from chicken coops so as to attract mice and rats AWAY from your chickens. Bait stations ATTRACT mice and rats so it stands to reason when you put a bait station inside your coop you are calling all local mice and rats in the area to visit your coop for dinner and while they are checking out your coop they may decide they like your chickens eggs and feed better, not to mention they bite chickens. Place bait stations outside of and away from your coop and runs. The idea is to lure the mice and rats away from your chickens.
Chickens eat mice and they usually eat them so quickly they have no idea whether the mouse has been poisoned or not and you could end up with some dead chickens. If your chickens are completely Free Range, bait traps are probably not a good solution for you as your chickens will most likely eat any mouse they find that has been poisoned and disoriented. Using poisons is a very fast and effective way to get rid of rodents in and around your coop but can be dangerous for your chickens if not used properly.Poison should be in a bait station and baby chicks should never be allowed near them. If you use poisons be sure to wear gloves when handling it and wash your hands well before handling your birds. Your chickens may eat the poison or a poisoned rodent and die within minutes, hours, or days from the time of ingestion. Poison can be set at night but should not be placed anywhere that your birds could have access to it or where it will attract mice and rats to your coop. I do not recommend using poisons because a poisoned rodent may enter the coop where a chicken may eat it. Prevent accidental ingestion of poisons (meant for rodents) by your chickens and other pets by either not using them or using them safely. Keep in mind that small baby chicks are about the same size as mice and can easily access the bait stations. Do NOT use bait stations around or near baby chicks. Again I stress this point, Do NOT put bait stations inside your chicken coop or run. - Glue Traps-Glue traps actually inhumanely capture mice, rats, insects or anything that steps on them, including your chickens. We do not recommend glue traps in your hen house or coops because they will not only catch your chickens, but also collect bedding material that gets near them. Glue traps are a very inhumane way to capture a rodent as their feet cannot be unstuck and they will die a slow and painful death of starvation unless you kill them. The glue pads are almost impossible to remove from your chickens feet or beak if they happen to peck at an insect stuck on the trap. Glue traps are a huge "NO" for chicken coops.
- Old fashioned spring mouse traps-Not only are the old fashioned spring mouse and rat traps a totally inhumane way to kill a mouse or rat but these traps can also catch your chickens. If your chicken tries to get the bait of the trap they can lose their beak or their whole head or if they step on it lose a toe or a foot. NEVER use these in your chicken coop or run.
- Clamp traps-These traps do work well to catch mice but are not good for chicken coops.I have used both the mouse and rat traps, caught several mice in my house with the mouse traps but never caught a rat in the rat trap and reset it for months. The snap traps are dangerous around chickens and carry the same dangers as the old fashioned spring mouse trap. I have tried them and they only places I would use them is for areas where no chickens or other pets are kept, however, after a couple kills, like the old fashioned traps, the spring wears down and they stop working.
- Live Rodent Traps-While using live traps for mice and rats in the chicken coop I discovered that there are a few problems. After catching the critters I was in a dilemma about how to dispose of them. If I set them free on my property they will just come back. If I take them somewhere else and set them free I have just given someone else my problem. Animal control wouldn't take them, So for me, rat zappers is the way to go.
- Farm cats-Cats who are raised around chickens are excellent rodent control with female cats being the most avid hunters. Male cats spray the area and when mice and rats smell it they will usually not come around. The scent of a cat is usually enough to deter most rodents and even some predators. Baby chicks should never be housed with cats.
- Rat Zappers-Rat zappers are considered one of the most humane ways to exterminate mice, rats, and similiar rodents. The mouse goes in, gets zapped and is contained inside the trap so there is no chance for your chickens to eat a poisoned mouse. Most rat zappers have infrared sensing technology, are clean and easy to operate, are environmentally preferred, are poison free, and can do 40 to 50 kills per set of batteries. Be sure to put the rat zappers where your chickens cannot access them.
- Herbs-Garlic, peppermint, lavender, basil, rosemary, lemongrass and catnip repel mice and other rodents.
- Keep the Coop Clean.
- Don't leave eggs in the nest boxes overnight.Don't leave food or treats accessable inside the hen house or chicken coop at night.
- Move your chicken coop if possible at least once every six weeks.