Occurrence: Worldwide. Species affected: All. Age affected: All.

Causes: House mouse- Mus musculus is the most common.

Effects: Contaminate feed and litter with their excrement. Particularly hazardous to Salmonella control programs since they are frequently infected. Burrowing and gnawing activity can undermine foundations and destroy curtains and insulation. They eat and/or contaminate feed, leading to increased feed costs and decreased efficiency. Mice can also carry diseases and ectoparasites.

Rodents are common external pests in and around poultry facilities and can parasitise poultry. Rodents can eat or contaminate feed, which increased feed costs and affects feed conversion. Additional problems can be produced by the presence of these pests, since they may carry a variety of disease and ectoparasites.

The house mouse (Mus musculus) is the most common mouse found in and around poultry facilities. Mice will eat almost any kind of food. Mice are active throughout the day, often feeding every hour. However, peak activity occurs at dusk and dawn. Mice breed regularly throughout the year with no seasonal peak.

Mice are active throughout the day, often feeding every hour. However, peak activity occurs at dusk and dawn. Mice breed regularly throughout the year with no seasonal peak. If mice are seen during the day, it usually indicates a heavy infestation. Droppings may be seen, especially around spilled feed and gnawing or burrowing activity may be identified around buildings. Scratching noises may be heard.

Size of droppings and visual identification of mice (dead mice may be found) will distinguish mice from rats.

Rodent-proofing can be an effective long-term control measure. However, it is impossible to rodent-proof a poultry facility with curtains, wooden sidewalls and/or dirt floors. Access to the building can be restricted by patching or screen holes in the foundation, thus forcing the rodents to burrow into the house, which makes them easier to detect.

Sanitation involves cleaning around the facility. Rodents are secretive creatures, they do not like to move in open areas; therefore, mowing the grass and weeds on a regular basis creates a less favourable habitat. Removing piles of old wood, nests or any other debris helps to make the area less attractive to rodents and aids in making early detection possible. When debris or tall grass is present, rodents can burrow into a facility and go unnoticed. Rolling the house curtains up and down a couple of times a week during summer months will disturb any rodents that are in the curtains and discourage them from living and/or nesting in them.

After the control measures have been completed, rodent-killing can be the use of baiting, fumigating, trapping or even shooting. A properly conducted baiting program is easiest and most effective.

There are many products that will kill rodents. The first safe and commonly used baits are the multiple-dose anticoagulants. Products that contain warfarin, fumaric, chlorophacinone or diphacinone as an active ingredient are examples of this type. Multiple-dose anticoagulants must be consumed for several days to be lethal. The effects are cumulative, therefore, it is imperative that enough bait be available for the rodents to eat for several days. These chemicals are safe for people and for non-target animals, because a single dose will not cause death.

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