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rats around hen house but don't want to kill them

post #1 of 6
5/27/12 at 9:36pm
Thread Starter 

i want to keep the rats out, but not kill them - and i don't know if i can underwire enough to allow the girls to dust bath (which they absolutely love) and make the pen and house rat proof

 

is there anything else i can do - killing the rats is not an option

 

thank you

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post #2 of 6
5/27/12 at 9:37pm

I've never had to deal with rat problems so I can't help but WelcometoBYC.gif

 Crested Ducks                     Common Chicken Practices          Learn more about Avian Influenza

 

 

 
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”
— Maya Angelou

 

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 Crested Ducks                     Common Chicken Practices          Learn more about Avian Influenza

 

 

 
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”
— Maya Angelou

 

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post #3 of 6
5/27/12 at 9:50pm
Use .5" hardware cloth to skirt the area (under the coop?) attach to coop and fold a foot or so, at the bottom away from coop/area. Then either bury lengths of the hardware cloth/or place on ground surface (stake/weigh down) - should have about 2.5' of hardware cloth on/underground all around area. All windows/openings-cracks in coop should be covered with hardware cloth. All food sources should be removed at night. Fill in all holes.

That said, unless you make your coop/home utterly disgusting to the rats (tough to do) they'll breed like, well, rats and you'll be praying for the Pied Piper.

Very good luck, let us know how the kinder/gentler population and chook protection control program works out for you.
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post #4 of 6
5/27/12 at 9:56pm

If you block acess to all food sources they wont hang around as much , they will spend more time looking for greener pastures , would you stay where there is no food wink.png . That being said its unlikley youll get rid of them completly but if you keep food from were they can get at it and dont have a bunch of nice nesting places the population will dwindle down. Make shure they never have acess to sick or young birds though they are scavangers and foragers but they can kill though they do it far less often then dogs and racoons and cyoties and hawks and such.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/kilis-second-hatch-cam-page I will have this up during hatches as much as I can.

 http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/gabrielle1976-swap-page   This is my swap page I will keep it updated best I can. 

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/gabrielle1976s-incubateing-experments-page My experament page where I will be doing hatching trials of diffrent incubation...

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http://www.ustream.tv/channel/kilis-second-hatch-cam-page I will have this up during hatches as much as I can.

 http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/gabrielle1976-swap-page   This is my swap page I will keep it updated best I can. 

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/gabrielle1976s-incubateing-experments-page My experament page where I will be doing hatching trials of diffrent incubation...

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post #5 of 6
5/29/12 at 6:29am

May I ask WHY you want to keep them around?
 

We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." - Immanuel_Kant
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We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." - Immanuel_Kant
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post #6 of 6
5/29/12 at 7:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by CariLynn View Post

May I ask WHY you want to keep them around?
 


Good ?

Breeding Mottled & Black Cochin Bantams! 30+ years Specializing in Black Cochin Bantams.

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Breeding Mottled & Black Cochin Bantams! 30+ years Specializing in Black Cochin Bantams.

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