Is this a rat?

[Suzierd]

Oh no! Lock them up better till you get it!

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

I'm sorry

Rats are voracious b*stards and will eat anything (they'll bite larger farm animals too). I hope you catch it. My most recent issue of Backyard Poultry magazine has an article about how to eradicate rats from a barn, and its written by a veterinarian. She uses locking Tomcat boxes (so the rats get in to eat the sweet smelling poison but cant get back out to poison any other animal that might in turn eat them OR carry the poison bits about the barn) and the poison is First Strike Soft Bait. Good luck

 

[JackE]

Car exhaust into hole, for about an half hour. That will kill everything down in the ground.

 

[DoubletakeFarm]

5. I'm missing five chicks. I am so ******. My husband told me not to put them in that pen, but I didn't have anywhere else to put them. He's never taken a chicken before, so I didn't think he would do it. We are in the process of building four pens in the other side of the barn but only one had a door on it and it's too small for that many chicks. I moved them anyhow. I called my hubby and he will put the rest of the doors up when he gets home today.

I put the medieval torture device (it's actually a mole trap) in the pen I moved the chicks out of. I put it right over the hole that MF uses to get in and I took the poor little dead chick and used it as bait. My husband says the mole trap won't work, but I said "we've tried everything else, it isn't going to hurt to try." And at this point I would be very happy to see that sob speared with spikes.

I will be going to TSC today to pick up a copy of that magazine PlaidBattleAxe mentioned and see if I can find a safe bait station.

Everyone please keep their fingers crossed for me that I get MF. I don't know if I can take much more of this.

 

[DoubletakeFarm]

Lol, it bleeped out pi**ed. I didn't know I couldn't say that. That was tame compared to what I want to say!

 

[6of6chicks]

I'm sorry

Rats are voracious b*stards and will eat anything (they'll bite larger farm animals too). I hope you catch it. My most recent issue of Backyard Poultry magazine has an article about how to eradicate rats from a barn, and its written by a veterinarian. She uses locking Tomcat boxes (so the rats get in to eat the sweet smelling poison but cant get back out to poison any other animal that might in turn eat them OR carry the poison bits about the barn) and the poison is First Strike Soft Bait. Good luck

Wow - learn something every day!

Thanks for the tip on the Tomcat boxes. I periodically have rats in the barn, so I'm going to set a few of those up to try to keep the rats from moving back in. Last time I just put poison out and then worried for weeks my dogs would find a chunk in the yard or eat a dead poisoned rat. This sounds like a much safer solution! Thanks!!

 

[Highcotton]

I am not sure what made those holes but I can say that whatever it is the dog may be your best bet at getting rid of it. Especially if you can't use traps or poisons. I have three Jack Russell Terriers and they are THE BEST form of vermin control. I know jacks can be like a tornado once they get on the scent of something but if its an animal that could harm your birds then maybe its worth giving your dog another try. Doing a little rapair/cleanup work will be easier in the long run then loosing your flock.

This is a picture of two of my jacks digging out a groundhog hole

My dad had problems with rats getting into his feed. His dog loved to get them. He would put the water hose into the holes and flush the rats out and the dog would catch them and dispatch them with a shake of his head.

 

[islandgirl82]

I'm SO sorry about your chicks!!

I've looked up other predator possibilities based on your findings on the photo and findings in the burrow. With the exception of the egg but based on what I've read, when desperate enough, they'll eat just about anything.
http://www.defenders.org/burrowing-owl/basic-facts

The range maps do not include NE Ohio, however there are records of them migrating to your area during their mating season.
wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/portals/wildlife/pdfs/publications/.../pub423.pdf and
http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/2008/06/burrowing-owl.html

I know it seems far fetched but given climate changes and recorded migrating ranges expanding for these little guys...I wouldn't rule them out as your culprit.

The one photo you did get as your MF has very similar coloring (though blurred) and looks like it could possibly be 2 legged instead of 4 legged. It would also explain why you haven't had any luck trapping it with peanut butter or found a trace of it...droppings or tracks. Who would ever notice traces of another bird??

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

Doubletakefarm-- its the June/July issue. My TS hasn't put out the Aug/Sept one yet, so if they have at yours, its in the June/July one (and they should still have those up on stands). Good luck!!

6of6chicks-- you're welcome. I knew someone who had horses and when the rats got bold/hungry or numerous enough they began biting and chewing on the horses legs at night while they were in the stalls. And I agree about the poison. I always worry my kids/dog/cats will wind up getting into it. I haven't had to use any poison boxes yet, but when it gets to that point I'll be trying out the setup that the vet wrote about in the article.

 

[TCchickies13]

Rats 101- Rats love meat! I've been "killing things" as a professional for over 20 years. One of the best methods I've used for "tricky" rodents is a rat trap baited with a smoked sausage.
Honest! Smokey Joe's, Slim Jim's, etc...You should use a piece of wire to secure it to the trap's trigger. You can also place a chicken proof cover over the traps- ie- a strong box, tupperware with access holes for the rat.
You should understand that rats are ingenious and can be difficult. The fastest and most effective means to control rodents is a single dose, anti-coagulant rodenticide. To do this effectively, purchase the pellets instead of the blocks. Simply put 2-3 of the pellets in each entry hole you find and cover the hole. Retreat any holes that are reopened until it's over.
If you continue to have problems, please get in touch.