Some of you may remember that I did a post about Little Mouse in the spring. We had been seeing a little field mouse in the garden and on the veg plot.
I then started seeing it in the chicken run in the early evening. It would run behind the chicken shelter and then come out again quite close to me. I managed to get a photo.
Little Mouse on April 26th
This was before I had my current camera as a birthday present from my husband in May. I could probably have got a much better photo with this camera. I wasn’t able to zoom with my old camera so this was fairly close.
I saw Little Mouse escape through the weld mesh so there is no way of keeping it out of the chicken run. As summer progressed we stopped seeing it.
About a week ago I became aware that it was coming back in the chicken run. I am of course just assuming it’s the same one, it may not be, but I like to imagine that it is. I haven’t seen it but when I moved one of the little coop nest boxes to sweep underneath there were six to eight tiny mouse droppings and some crumbs from chicken pellets.
I have been moving the little coop nest boxes every morning and sweeping away what is there and each time it’s been the same. There are always between six to eight droppings so I think it’s just a single mouse because there is such a small amount of evidence. One morning there was also a cherry stone so it seems it is bringing it’s own take away in too.
At the moment I am just going to leave it because as long as it remains at just one and the droppings are under the coop, away from the chickens, I think it’s not doing much harm. I am reluctant to put bait down and kill one little field mouse that may have been visiting all year.
As the days get shorter I will eventually take the food dish in at night and then there will be nothing for it to come in for. As long as we don’t suddenly end up with many mice I think it’s okay to just leave Little Mouse.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
One seems okay – quite cute, in fact; however, with shelter and food they do reproduce prolifically. Just a thought.:)
I know, but in the spring there seemed to be just the one, and now it seems that again there is just the one. I will soon be taking the food away at night but because the clocks go back next weekend I am just hanging on a bit longer. If I see evidence of more than one I will have to take action. Maybe Little Mouse hasn’t attracted a mate?
Aghh mice!!!!
I am not getting anywhere with catching the little scamps!
We never did either. They are a lot more difficult to catch than people imagine. I can imagine you think I am mad to tolerate this one but as you have found trapping is so hard and killing one lone mouse seems harsh. In a few weeks time I will be taking the food dish in overnight and hopefully then there will be nothing for it to come in for.
So cute, As you said, as long as it dont bring a family along.
That’s what I’m hoping.
We had a rat coming in the coop as soon as the pop door raised each morning. It kept pulling the privacy curtains behind the nesting boxes in hopes of making a nest. It took us a week to figure out what was happening. The curtains are now tattered and torn. My girls are still laying in the loft after being spooked. BUT nasty RAT IS GONE thanks to three humans and two blue heelers.
I am being tolerant of one little mouse but rats are a different thing altogether. A few years ago we had problems with rats and I was not happy at all. They had to be got rid of and the marine ply finally stopped them getting into the run.
How crafty to wait for the pop hole to open.
It is vital that I keep them out of my run and chicken shed as my little girls would be vulnerable because of their tiny size.