WHAT is lining up dead mice?

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Poultryprincess
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WHAT is lining up dead mice?

Post by Poultryprincess » Thu Oct 19, 2017 1:38 am

For the last week I have had a Neat killer in my outside coop
The dirt is dug down about 6 inches, with a trenched tunnel.
4 times this week there was also a pair of dead mice on top of the dirt.
A few have had their mid section ripped out, but others were not.
But the dead mice are always lined up, as if the critter did not want them in the dirt.

DH thought it was a good idea to put patio stones in the Outside pen.
( so nothing big could come thru Under the soil)
Seems to have made a Perfect hideout for MANY mice.
Every day I have to sweep the sand & stones to cover new mice holes.
There is 1/2 inch mesh along wall, so the critter is coming from the other side of the wall

This is the yard where a mink came thru a hole & killed my hen.
Any ideas? This is the pic from this morning.

IMG_2663 (2).JPG
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Jaye
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Re: WHAT is lining up dead mice?

Post by Jaye » Thu Oct 19, 2017 6:50 am

I am going to guess mink? Or rat? Looks like whatever it is may be stockpiling food for the winter.
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WLLady
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Re: WHAT is lining up dead mice?

Post by WLLady » Thu Oct 19, 2017 8:24 am

my cat does that but leaves them lined up on the front doorsteps.....
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Re: WHAT is lining up dead mice?

Post by Killerbunny » Thu Oct 19, 2017 8:30 am

I'm thinking weasel if it's a small hole?
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Re: WHAT is lining up dead mice?

Post by Ontario Chick » Thu Oct 19, 2017 11:19 am

Actually not that important who is doing it, but it's definitely a killer, who is planning to spend the winter and likes a variety i.e. mice supplemented by an occasional chicken.
You will need to do ALL of the things you are considering and set up a trap on top of that, if you don't want to loose any birds.
Had that happen few years back, had to take apart an outside barn wall to close all the possible entry points, and put poison inside the walls, we knew it was a rat, since I followed the tracks in the snow from the road, catching it was another thing entirely.
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Re: WHAT is lining up dead mice?

Post by JP* » Thu Oct 19, 2017 11:46 am

I want one of these fancy traps for rodent control.

https://www.goodnature.co.nz/products/

The A24.

Obviously it isn't a cold weather trap but you should be able to get things under control before freeze up.

Fancy is pricey.
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Re: WHAT is lining up dead mice?

Post by Poultryprincess » Sun Oct 22, 2017 12:22 am

After posting the pics, I dug down& sprayed expanding foam in the tunnel & along mesh edge.
Then put down 1/2 inch gravel & stomped it down...confident that I fixed it
NEXT morning the gravel was pitched out on the patio stone floors.
For 3 consecutive days I have attempted to stop "whatever" it is from digging another tunnel.
I totally agree with you Ontario Chick!

I will have to search the web for something "I" can do.
Our place is up for sale so hubby won't do any work on coop.
My coop is an extension added onto hubby's beat up garage
The roof has a 4 ft overhang (24 ft long) where DH stores.....Firewood!

The mink (that was never caught) came thru a hole in another wall.
He attacked my showgirl while she was in the outside pen.
I didn't think I needed to be concerned if it was a rat, but now I'm worried.

THANX everyone for shaking the poop outta me....I needed it!
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Re: WHAT is lining up dead mice?

Post by windwalkingwolf » Sun Oct 22, 2017 5:31 am

Pitching the gravel out like that, sounds like a rat. They will dig out even 4 inch rocks. Pour cement down the hole, or plaster will work for a while. Metal window screen will work for a while too, but your best bet is 1/2 hardware cloth or sheet metal fastened over any surface they can dig or chew through. Old pool walls are awesome for this, and you can usually find pool tin for free :)
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Re: WHAT is lining up dead mice?

Post by LongCrow » Sun Oct 22, 2017 7:45 am

I agree, excessive digging is the sign of a rat problem (possibly a colony). Unfortunately poison or trapping are your only defense.
I recently saw a new style of trap at a Home Hardware that uses elastic bands to choke the rat. Think it may work well covering a hole.
Website of trap
http://nooski.com/
reviews
https://www.productreview.com.au/p/noos ... -trap.html
purchase
http://homehardware.ca/en/cat/index.htm ... /N-1z140kd
Good Luck
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Re: WHAT is lining up dead mice?

Post by Skinny rooster » Sun Oct 22, 2017 10:23 am

Fortunately I never have rats so I don't know anything about them. It also sounds like a short tail weasel. These are an s.o.b to get rid of. They will eventually come after your chickens so full on assault whatever it is!
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