From time to time we have seen a little mouse in the garden. Last year we used to see it in the chicken run and this year we have seen it scurrying around the garden in and out of the borders.
Yesterday the little mouse was sunning itself on the path and we were able to get close to it. I have been noticing bits of peanut on the path and had put them down to squirrels but am now wondering if they are bought in by the mouse because yesterday the little mouse was munching on a bit of peanut close to the chicken run.
I was able to get super close to it to take some photos. Sadly we are wondering if there is something wrong with it, for it to be letting us get so close, to it.
Little mouse
Close up of little mouse
I didn’t use a zoom, this is simply me pointing the camera right in front of the mouse.
Little mouse with the girls in the background for size comparison
The little mouse is eating a bit of peanut. It isn’t bothered by the girls nor are they bothered by it. I think because we have had a little mouse in the run, possibly the same one, they are used to each other.
I know some chicken owners say their girls would eat a mouse but our girls have never taken any notice of the mouse. As you can see both sides are quite casual about each other.
We wonder if it is the same mouse we are seeing and perhaps it is elderly. Either way we don’t fancy it’s chances of surviving much longer while allowing us to get so close to it. I am sure a tame mouse is not a safe mouse in a garden environment. It is lovely for us to be able to get so close but it is also worrying for the future of little mouse.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Sweet little mouse.
Unfortunately I think a cat may have taken little mouse. The girls give the alarm call when there is a cat in the garden. They all go to the high perches, stretch their necks up and shout.
That day soon after those photos I went through the chicken run gate and the girls freaked out. They were all flying round and screeching. I have only seen them do this when Richard carried a red duvet past them from the shed to indoors for painting.
I looked out to see what had spooked them and a big tabby cat was just disappearing over the wall to next door. I then wondered if the girls had seen the cat take little mouse.
I am only guessing but I haven’t seen the mouse since. If that is what happened at least it had been sitting in the sun and then munching a peanut so it would have gone out on a high. It couldn’t survive being so docile and it was probably better than a slow death. It is sad though.
Poor little mouse! 🙁
We have one in our house at the moment – trying to catch it with a humane mousetrap and some peanut butter! :-0 xx
Oh dear, not good to have them indoors!
I think that it’s quite likely that the cat took it. I don’t know if you would remember a post, it was a long time ago, but we used to have the veg plot at the end of the chicken run. One morning the girls were making such a racket that it got us both out of bed, early, and it turned out that a hedgehog had got tangled in the net over the veg plot.
We managed to free it and never used net again. It makes me think that the girls will freak out if they see a creature in trouble even if it is just an instinct that there may be a predator.
Feel sorry for little mouse.
I do too. It’s more of a guess that’s what happened as I don’t have proof but I suspect that is what happened. I haven’t seen little mouse since (the next day was sunny too but it didn’t appear) and I know you will remember the hedgehog incident because I know we talked about it at the time.
Poor mouse. We had one I kept seeing on our decking until last week but I was woken up on Sunday night by a horrid squealing outside and haven’t seen him since. There is another who’s been going into the chicken run for pellets though – I saw him yesterday. My girls seem to ignore them to even though they love to eat frogs given the chance – to save them I have to join the chase around the garden.
It’s funny how the chickens don’t take any notice of a mouse. I haven’t ever had a frog in the chicken run. My girls are so small that I am not sure what they would do. I can just imagine you chasing around the garden with the girls.