Rats! Argh....

Hubby cut covers out of plywood that I put across the front of the feeders at night and these feeders have lids on top. Bulk feed was always in metal trash cans. We put "One Bite" under the chicken house the week after Christmas. In the tunnels. There were massive tunnels coming from under the chicken house. The tunnels under the cinder block steps going into the chicken house caused the steps to cave in. We pulled the cinder blocks up, stuffed "One Bite" down those tunnels and covered the whole spot with Quikcrete and placed the cinder blocks back down. No new activity noted since then but we had at least two people tell us those tunnels were mink tunnels. Then in the same week, the farmer behind me said he had seen a mink at his pond(about 300 yards from me) after seeing no mink on that creek and in that pond for many, many years. So now I don't know.....were we battling rats or minks ....or both. So I just don't know anymore. But no chickens lost...not even the two roosters in their own pen and not in that main fortress of a hen house. Meanwhile about 50 yards down the fence line at my duck house, nothing is bothering them at all....but their feed pan is only in their run during the day. Seems like it was probably rats and we have almost won the battle....hope there isn't a mink hanging around.

Birdydeb said:

I've been using rat traps for over a month... I set out 7 every night in the run. Last night they tripped several traps and no rats. They have gotten wise to the traps.

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Clearly your battling rats. You should be using a bait box or other means to keep the poison to target animal- rats. I use chunx and tamper proof bait boxes. You'll need a plan to keep population under control. A one time action does not solve the problem and the problem is chicken feed, table scraps, scratch all attract rodents. I keep a tamper proof bait box with chunx poison in the run at all times.

I used the bait boxes and put them in places that are away from the other animals. I have chickens, rabbits, dogs, cats and horses. It usually takes a couple weeks, but the rats are found dead. They can kill a good sized chick!