Keeping Chickens Newsletter

Ley Jackson : In regards to the person having trouble with mice in their coop, I just learned a nifty new trick for warding off both gophers and mice---peppermint oil. You soak cottonballs in it, and put around wherever you are having trouble with rodents. I've put them all over my veggie gardens (non-toxic) to run off gophers, and a few places inside my little old farmhouse to deter mice. Seems to be working, and I've now ordered my own peppermint seed so I can make my own peppermint oil.

Now I have a funny story for you, which I call---In Search of the elusive Peppermint Oil. I joined the Group, Master Gardeners on LinkedIn, mostly so I could pick their brains about how to get rid of gophers. They're cleaning me out again, and I'm sick of the only remedy I know---putting out used cat litter. Makes my gardens smell like a litter box, with minimal results. They are tenacious little critters.

I received a reply that soaking cotton balls in peppermint oil works really well, putting it down the tunnels around plants. Sounds good, and smells much better than cat litter. So.....I went looking for peppermint oil, wanting to put it out immediately instead of waiting for an internet order. Looked at Walmart, couple pharmacies, no luck. Then I remembered a new store going into an old building on my route home, called "Herbal Solutions". Seems like a natural place to carry such things, right? I stopped in there. When I walked in, I thought.....this is kind of a strange looking health store. You come into a small vestibule, and there's a person behind a glass enclosure. She asked, "Can I help you?" I explained what I was looking for, and received a completely blank look. She called up another person from the back, and I went thru my story again about peppermint oil. The new person asked, "You don't know what we sell here, do you?" I replied........herbs? She said, "No - we sell medical marijuana here". The look on my face must have been priceless, because we all burst out laughing at the same time !

Too good not to tell this tale on myself.......

I have a batch of new peeps, to replace my 22 rare breed hens that were stolen last year. Will get pictures out eventually.

Best wishes, Ley Jackson, Wild Blue Ranch

Subscribe to this free Newsletter at

Page 14

August 2011 Vol. 2