Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Hay River (Jan 30/06) - Reports of millions of mice in a closed egg operation in Hay River have been greatly exaggerated. By millions, it would appear.

Some town councillors heard concerns that Denendeh Eggs - more commonly known as the chicken barn - was teeming with mice ready to invade the town.

Councillor Ron Cook inspected Hay River's chicken barn - a closed egg-producing facility - and reports there is no sign of live mice. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

At a Jan. 9 meeting, Councillor Tom Hamilton said he heard there might be "millions" of mice in the large building, adding, "the town may be infested with them in the springtime."

Councillor Ron Cook contacted the chicken barn's owner, K'atlodeeche First Nation.

Band representatives took him on a tour of the building on Jan. 24, and he reported his findings to council.

"I would suggest some of the stories we're hearing are greatly exaggerated," he said.

Cook said there were a dozen traps where the eggs are packaged, but he was told not one mouse has been caught there.

In the attached barn where chickens roost, Cook counted more than 100 mice felled by poison, but not one live mouse - or any mice tracks in the snow around the building.

"I'd bet my life there's not a live one in the building," he said.

Cook, who grew up on a farm, said some mice are common around any kind of farming operation, and a hundred or so dead mice is no big deal.

K'atlodeeche Chief Roy Fabian is not surprised by Cook's findings.

"We didn't have any mice when we were there," he says. "I think they were town mice invading our barn."

The First Nation bought the egg facility and ran it for almost three years, until it was closed in August. Fabian says the band is selling the operation.