Tag: coop

Think Free-Range Is Best for Your Chickens? Think Again.

“Predators Only Come Out at Night”—It’s One of the Biggest Myths in Chicken Keeping!


There’s no disputing the benefits of free-roaming, chickens love scratching around in the dirt, hunting for bugs, and enjoying everything nature has to offer. Especially if your coop setup is small, it makes total sense that you’d want their days filled with sunshine and fresh grass. After all, most people say predators only strike at night, right? If your flock is tucked away safely in a locked coop when the sun goes down, you’d naturally think you’re giving them their best life.
The truth is, the second you open that coop door, your flock becomes a target. It’s a complete myth that predators only hunt at night. Even living in the fifth largest city in the country, I’ve lost hens in broad daylight to hawks, bobcats, and coyotes, and a few years ago, I lost an entire flock in a single afternoon. On top of wild animals, you also have to watch out for loose neighborhood dogs, which can be just as deadly. The only real way to keep your birds safe is to keep them confined in a larger, comfortable setup stocked with fresh greens, mealworms, and occasional treats.
I know you see chicken keepers all over social media with their birds frolicking in the grass, roaming free and looking happy as can be. It sounds great, but is that their actual daily reality? As someone who has kept chickens for over 20 years, I can guarantee you that anyone who lets their flock roam free has lost birds to predators at one point or another. I guess if you have 50 birds and lose six to a coyote, it’s a trade off you might accept. But what if you are like most backyard chicken keepers and have only six or seven birds total? Are you really willing to take that risk?
Now, you might be thinking, “What if I have a rooster?” Sure, a solid rooster will absolutely put his life on the line for his hens. He’ll keep a lookout, sound the alarm, and maybe even scare off a smaller hawk or a neighborhood cat. But let’s be real for a second, a rooster is still no match for a coyote, a bobcat, or a loose dog. While having a vigilant rooster on duty definitely helps their odds, relying on him as your main defense is still a huge gamble. At the end of the day, trust me when I say even the bravest rooster can’t outfight a hungry predator.

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Controlling Mice Around Your Chickens

Strategies For Successfully Managing Mice

This is What You Want to Avoid

🐭 Controlling mice in the chicken coop is something nearly every chicken keeper eventually has to deal with. Where there is grain, warmth, and shelter, rodents will inevitably appear. Chickens themselves do not mind the occasional mouse, but a growing rodent population can quickly become a nuisance. Mice consume expensive feed, contaminate food with droppings and urine, damage wood and insulation, and can carry parasites and disease. Because mice reproduce rapidly, what begins as a small problem can grow quickly if it is not managed.
The most effective approach to controlling mice is not simply trying to kill them. Successful rodent control focuses on management practices that make the coop and surrounding area less attractive to mice in the first place. If food, shelter, and easy access are removed, rodents will usually move on.
Feed management is the most important step. Chicken feed is the main reason mice move into a coop. Chickens are messy eaters, and spilled grain becomes a ready meal for rodents once night falls. Using feeders that limit spillage, such as treadle feeders, can make a significant difference. It’s important to not have food available at night, and clean up spilled feed from the ground. When mice cannot reliably find food, they are far less likely to remain in the area.
Proper feed storage is just as important. Mice can chew through feed bags and thin plastic containers with little effort. Feed should always be stored in rodent-proof containers such as metal garbage cans with tight fitting lids.
Reducing hiding places around the coop also helps discourage rodents from settling in. Mice prefer areas where they can move from cover to cover without being exposed. Raise pallets a foot off the ground, keep grass and weeds trimmed around the coop and avoid storing piles of lumber or straw, etc. directly on the ground.
Is your coop itself rodent proof? Keep in mind that a mouse can squeeze through very small opening, sometimes no larger than a dime. Gaps around doors, small holes in siding, and openings where pipes or wires enter the building can all provide entry points. These areas can be sealed with hardware cloth. 

🐭 FYI: Mice are primarily nocturnal. Peak activity is at night, they come out to search for food, explore, and build nests between dusk & dawn. During the day they are usually resting or hiding in nests (inside walls, burrows, clutter, etc.).

The Goal: No hiding places, Metal Feed Cans, & a Tidy Space

Rodent poisons are not recommended around chickens. Poisoned mice may be eaten by chickens, barn cats, owls, hawks, or other wildlife. This can lead to secondary poisoning, harming animals that naturally help control rodent populations. For most backyard chicken keepers, prevention, good management provide safer and more responsible solutions.

🐭 If you have an infestation problem, trapping provides a safer and more responsible solution when mice are already established in high numbers. Snap traps are generally the most effective and humane option when placed along walls or runways where mice travel. Baits such as peanut butter, oats, or a small amount of chicken feed mixed with peanut butter tend to work well. Of course, traps should always be placed where chickens can’t reach them.
The reality of keeping chickens is that mice may never disappear completely. But with consistent management practices, controlling feed, keeping the coop area clean, storing grain properly, it is possible to keep rodent numbers low.
Mice are a nuisance, and rats can feel even more unsettling. In many cases, where you find one, the other isn’t far behind. While the methods used to control them are similar, this article explores rodent management in greater detail. Effective Rat Management For Backyard Chicken Keepers

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Why and How to Use Lime in Your Chicken Coop

Controlling Oder & Pests in the Coop

Taking care of a chicken coop means keeping it clean, safe, and smelling as fresh as possible. One way to do this is by using lime. Not only does it help with odor but it’s also an insect repellent. Lime also helps soak up moisture which can lead to bacteria & mold. A good rule of thumb is to reapply lime at least once a month.

First Saturday Lime

I use First Saturday Lime in my coop, available at Amazon.

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