Keeping Chickens Safe

Mini Predators: Protecting Chickens from Mice and Sparrows

Mention the word predator to a backyard flock owner and they’ll likely conjure mental images of a hungry raccoon, fox, or owl carrying off a favorite hen

Mini predators? They’re the tiny wild animals that don’t directly kill chickens but filch expensive feed, make a mess, and possibly introduce diseases and parasites Mice and House Sparrows are the major culprits, helped occasionally by starlings and rats

It’s probably impossible to completely eliminate these hungry animals, but there are ways to keep their numbers down The fewer sparrows and

DIY Mouse Trap

If you have chickens, unfortunately you will have mice!

Attracted to spilled feed, mice will find incredibly crafty ways to invade your coop Removing feeders at night is a tremendous help However, it isn’t always easy to remember to do that If you’re like me, at the end of the day, the last thing you’re looking forward to is another farm chore

I’ll never forget the horror I witnessed one night in my coop I had gone to lock the chickens up at bedtime, but was a little later than usual The sun