Is this a rat?

[DoubletakeFarm]

Good lord, I about choked when I saw that picture. I better NOT see any babies! But yes, looks like the dirt balls and nest but the nest was straw not hay. I pulled one of my trail cams today and put it in the barn.

 

[Suzierd]

Good lord, I about choked when I saw that picture.  I better NOT see any babies!  But yes, looks like the dirt balls and nest but the nest was straw not hay.  I pulled one of my trail cams today and put it in the barn.

Good idea! We should see what it is now.

 

[subhanalah]

Well? Any news?

 

[DoubletakeFarm]

No, nothing so far. The egg it had stashed was gone yesterday but nothing on the trail cam. Suzierd: I've lived in NE Ohio most of my life and have never seen a ground squirrel. But looking at a range map we are just barely out of the range of the thirteen lined ground squirrel. I hope that's not what it is because I would feel bad killing something that's rare in my area.

 

[Suzierd]

Ok didn't realize they were rare in your area I've got plenty of them here and wish they were rare. More then likley a Rat then hope he shows his face on camera soon!

 

[speckledhen]

Gray squirrels are crazy vermin here. They are everywhere. They eat little green strawberries, blueberries and other stuff we'd rather have for ourselves but we usually only hunt them if one gets really familiar with the coops and starts venturing around the entrances on a regular basis. Not ground squirrels, they don't burrow in the ground, but live in drays in the trees. We do have chipmunks, too, though it's rare to catch sight of them, they are so darn fast. Those are tiny compared to gray squirrels. Both can be pests with chickens, but not what you are dealing with here.

As far as rats go, we only started seeing those when the lush growth started behind the coop areas after clearing the trees. When we cut it down and stopped throwing scratch but putting it in contained piles instead, we saw less of them, but we do live in the woods and I know they are there, even if we don't see them. Rats, you certainly don't want! Nasty things.

 

[tawana]

were having the same problem in our barn and its " rats" we live close to a farmers field and they have found out that theirs food and water in there so, they decided to move in". well we now take the food away at night and the water.and put them in sealed containers" so they should move on now cause theirs no food supply.

we tried a 5 gallon pail empty and put a piece of wire through the top of it " strung from one side to the other". in the middle we put a empty can that spins if anything gets on it, so theyll drop into the water and drown if they try to get the peanut butter that the can is coated with." they are very smart! they havent gone near it. though i have the same type holes that you have and i did see the rats lurking in the yard,so i know for sure " thats what we have.

 

[ChickenPapaCT]

were having the same problem in our barn and its " rats" we live close to a farmers field and they have found out that theirs food and water in there so, they decided to move in". well we now take the food away at night and the water.and put them in sealed containers" so they should move on now cause theirs no food supply.

we tried a 5 gallon pail empty and put a piece of wire through the top of it " strung from one side to the other". in the middle we put a empty can that spins if anything gets on it, so theyll drop into the water and drown if they try to get the peanut butter that the can is coated with." they are very smart! they havent gone near it. though i have the same type holes that you have and i did see the rats lurking in the yard,so i know for sure " thats what we have.

Ooooh! I totally forgot about the 5 gallon traps! Thanks for reminding me! I got a stupid Vole digging up my garden - maybe I can catch it with a smaller version....

 

[JJSS89]

Rat Terrier is the answer. Never seen anything that patrolled a barn so effectively as a Rat Terrier by day and a cat by night

 

[DoubletakeFarm]

It just gets weirder...