Mice chewing bale strings.....

[badaxemoo]

I've always had trouble with mice chewing the strings on straw bales, but this winter for the first time they popped the strings on at least 200 bales of hay. We didn't have a particularly hard winter, but there were a lot more mice in the barn than usual.

It wouldn't matter so much if I was feedingt it to my cattle, but I want to sell my reserve hay in the spring after the pastures green up (and when the horse folks are desperate for a pickup load!).

Is plastic string less likely to get chewed on? I like the sisal since its biodegradable, but I've got an awful mess in the barn right now and might consider using some.

Any other tips? Barn cats? Poison? Traps?

 

[jnowack]

I HAVE USED PLASTIC AND SISAL AND PROBABLY DID NOT HAVE QUITE AT MUCH TROUBLE WITH THE PLASTIC. THE BIGGEST HELP I HAVE FOUND IS THAT WHEN I STACK THE BALES ON EDGE, I DON'T HAVE NEARLY AS MANY STRINGS CUT AS WHEN THE BALES ARE STACKED FLAT. MAYBE THEY DONT CHEW THE TREATED TWINE AS BAD EITHER. SORRY IF THIS IS NOT ANY HELP. I GUESS WIRE TIED OR LOTS OF CATS IN THE HAY SHED MAY BE THE ONLY WAY.

 

[Bullbuyer]

Get a pair of opposite sexed cats - next year you'll have all the mouse defense you'll ever need, plus they're fun to watch. We feed our cats a little dry feed in our feed storage building and I haven't seen a mouse in years. We have hogs, cattle, tons of feed and hay all in close proximity - no problems.

 

[msscamp]

Get a pair of opposite sexed cats - next year you'll have all the mouse defense you'll ever need, plus they're fun to watch. We feed our cats a little dry feed in our feed storage building and I haven't seen a mouse in years. We have hogs, cattle, tons of feed and hay all in close proximity - no problems.

Amazing how well that works, isn't it? :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

Amazing how well that works, isn't it? :lol: :lol: :lol:

:lol: Except around here. Everyone is a soft touch for cats, so what usually ends up happening is that I give them a little taste of chow. Then my wife sees them "poor lil kitties" all huddled up together, so she gives them some more. Then Gramma sees those poor lil devils freezing to death, so they get another shot. Next thing I know, my cat food bill is higher than my livestock feed bill, and the mice have taken over the hay yard :lol: :lol:

To get back on topic, we have alot of mice in this neck of the woods, so sisal twine is simply not an option here. I tried it once and had 300 out of 600 round bales chewed. Plastic will be considerably better, probably about 1/10th as many twines chewed.

Rod

 

[msscamp]

Amazing how well that works, isn't it? :lol: :lol: :lol:

:lol: Except around here. Everyone is a soft touch for cats, so what usually ends up happening is that I give them a little taste of chow. Then my wife sees them "poor lil kitties" all huddled up together, so she gives them some more. Then Gramma sees those poor lil devils freezing to death, so they get another shot. Next thing I know, my cat food bill is higher than my livestock feed bill, and the mice have taken over the hay yard :lol: :lol:


Rod

:lol2: :lol2: :lol2: I understand completely! Mom and Dad have 'feed wars' over the barn cats - Mom says Yea to the wet food, Dad says Nay, but I'm the one who actually has to feed them, so they get dry cat food every other day, an occasional can of wet food, and are stuck with having to forage in between times. Seems to be working well, as the cats are staying fat and sassy, but the mice population is decreasing rapidly! I keep an eye on their condition and adjust the food accordingly if they appear to be losing weight. They are also allowed access to Dad's shop (his decision) where they stay warm during the winter months and protected from predators year round.

 

[Anonymous]

the best mice killers i've ever had are my grandchildren ...they seem to kill more mice than the cats :cboy:

 

[klingoncowboy4]

I have never had problems with mice chewing the strings. I don't know why, they tunnel in the bales and will chew on any electrical cable they can get.

 

[msscamp]

the best mice killers i've ever had are my grandchildren ...they seem to kill more mice than the cats :cboy:

Alrighty then, I'm not even going to ask for an explanation of this statement! :shock: :shock:

 

[Beefy]

the best mice killers i've ever had are my grandchildren ...they seem to kill more mice than the cats :cboy:

you ort to feed them young'ns more better.

 

[msscamp]

the best mice killers i've ever had are my grandchildren ...they seem to kill more mice than the cats :cboy:

you ort to feed them young'ns more better.

Ewwwwwww!

 

[klingoncowboy4]

I hear mice in mushroom sauce is quite good. Still won't try it,

 

[dj]

the best mice killers i've ever had are my grandchildren ...they seem to kill more mice than the cats :cboy:

Alrighty then, I'm not even going to ask for an explanation of this statement! :shock: :shock:

My grandfather paid a penny each bounty. Wouldn't pay for live trapped, said he ended up buying the same 1, 5-6 times.
I've had good luck keeping the mice out of truck cabs with moth balls. Not sure if it would work in a hay stack or not.

 

[Anonymous]

msscamp...they dont eat mice ...they just find it fun to run them out of the hay and try to hit them with sticks...sometimes they'll kill 15-20 mice a day during the summer when they come over...and Beefy...them little rascals eat more than my cattle I think ...so there's no worry about them needing to eat better...its just a good thing they dont know all the stuff that makes up ponhoss because that's all they want to eat when they are here...welp...if yall got a few grandchildren and some cats and dogs to eat the dead mice...then you can get rid of the mice for free

 

[msscamp]

msscamp...they dont eat mice ...they just find it fun to run them out of the hay and try to hit them with sticks...sometimes they'll kill 15-20 mice a day during the summer when they come over...and

Whew, that's a relief! Not that I really thought they did, I just couldn't for the life of me imagine their fascination with mice! :lol: :lol: :lol: Thanks for clarifying!

PS Better not let them see dj's post or it might start costing you! ;-) :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

msscamp...they dont eat mice ...they just find it fun to run them out of the hay and try to hit them with sticks...sometimes they'll kill 15-20 mice a day during the summer when they come over...and

Whew, that's a relief! Not that I really thought they did, I just couldn't for the life of me imagine their fascination with mice! :lol: :lol: :lol: Thanks for clarifying!

PS Better not let them see dj's post or it might start costing you! ;-) :lol: :lol: :lol:

I hope they dont start charging a mice killing fee...next thing I know they'll be wanting to kill all of my animals...they seem to like "mice hunting"...I believe I could charge them an admission fee to the barn ...just so they could kill the mice...I guess there's not much else for them to do around here besides kill mice...they're either killing mice or searching the mountainside for musket balls from the Civil War...except they always want me to walk up the mountainside with them...and im getting too old for that so I hope they mostly just stick to killing mice

 

[msscamp]

msscamp...they dont eat mice ...they just find it fun to run them out of the hay and try to hit them with sticks...sometimes they'll kill 15-20 mice a day during the summer when they come over...and

Whew, that's a relief! Not that I really thought they did, I just couldn't for the life of me imagine their fascination with mice! :lol: :lol: :lol: Thanks for clarifying!

PS Better not let them see dj's post or it might start costing you! ;-) :lol: :lol: :lol:

I hope they dont start charging a mice killing fee...next thing I know they'll be wanting to kill all of my animals...

That would definitely be a problem, alright! :lol2: Tell them good luck with their mice hunting for me, please!

 

[shorty]

The best thing we found is to put poison out before you stack bales in the barn. lay it on floor along wall and also on beams along the wall, anyplace where mice or rats run

 

[Jogeephus]

My wife loves cats. Can't get to the truck in the morning for the kittens all over the steps. Got several be glad to sell ya and I'll guarantee that they'll cure the problem. Asking $300 ahead $450 for the blackuns. But be glad to give em all to ya if you can pick em up tomorrow. Running a special you see - wife's going to see my mom.