There is one think mice avoid at all cost but stinks….. weasel pee. The barns where we have weasels living in never have mice so far no chicken deaths we occationally feed them breakfast sausages raw and the odd broken shell egg expecially in winter…
No cats as I am super allergic to their saliva.
Also impossible here to not have mice 150 acres of hay feild around us….. Field mice /vole heaven. Our old dog used to catch them and he was stupid just so many you can’t miss fish in a barrel.
We have gotten mice traffic down by growing mint in rows about 20 feet from house shop and one barn… I notice less mice as traps are no longer full twice a day.
As a plus you get lung fulls of minty fresh sometimes instead of pig sty if wind in wrong direction