Rat Issue

[Padfoot417]

Hey all.
I've got a problem with a rat.
It's not harming my chickens,it's not eating eggs,it's not really doing anything.
It's my mom who's freaking out.
She's said that if we can't get rid of it then my chickens are the ones to go.
She's a city girl so I guess I understand,but the chickens aren't at fault anyway...
It's only one Brown Rat,he's made his home under my chicken coop.
I really don't care if he stays,he's not even doing anything.
But I need help.I've already got 6 new babies that I need to integrate soon,but if I have to get rid of my original 9 then they're pointless to keep raising.
Does anyone have any ideas?
I would prefer to do this in a humane way...as humane as you can get with a rat....
I'm really worried about losing my flock,any help would be appreciated!

 

[FireTigeris]

They sell electric traps @ the hardware store- you don't have to look and they use either C or D batteries.

There was someone who told me there is a plant that messes up the rat's sense of smell and they won't live near it.

 

[Nslangton]

Rats don't live alone. Just because you have only seen one doesn't mean that you don't have more. They multiply like crazy. One female can have 300 babies a year.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Yup! If you see one, you probably have a dozen more your not seeing.

Rats don't live alone. Just because you have only seen one doesn't mean that you don't have more. They multiply like crazy. One female can have 300 babies a year.

Those electric zap traps work very well.

 

[GardenerGal]

You have to take care of the problem, fast! Like others have said, rats don't live alone. One may move in, but soon he or she will attract a mate, and then you get a biiiiiig family of rats.

Keep your coop and run absolutely spotless clean. This means that every evening you sweep up any loose food on the ground, store your poultry feed in a steel trashcan with a tight lid (or store in your house), and make sure there are no places where rats can hide around your coop and run. That way, rats won't have a reason to move in. They're there for food and a place to raise babies.

To be fair to you, rats don't appear from out of nowhere. They had to have been living in your neighborhood in the first place. Wherever there are people, there are rats because people create the environment that supports rats -- garbage bags full of thrown away food, bowls of pet food left outside for Rover Doggie and Fluffy Kitty, leftover BBQ drippings left on the grill. Livestock and poultry feed left on the ground or in feed troughs. So, you and your chickens are not the cause of having rats; but the food you give your chickens is the reason why a rat (and soon more) decided to move in.

Take care of it now, keep the area clean, and always be vigilent for signs of new rat activity. You'll have no problems if you do this.

 

[Gallus Sapien]

LIsten to GardenerGal, everything she said is right. However, I must stress when you have one you have more. Moreover, I can tell you do not want to hurt the rats, but after they kill your six new babies your mind will change. Your mom is just trying to tell you something... in a nice way... you hve to get rid of the rats.

 

[Gallus Sapien]

Well........................What happened?????????????????

 

[laura877]

I agree with everything said. I will also stress that they will get your little babies 1 by 1 and take them down into their tunnels to eat later. I had a hen hatch 11 babies and took care of them for 2 weeks. Then one night I was missing one. A few nights later there were 6 gone and so on until there wasn't any left. Then the broody hen sat another 21 days to hatch 5 ot 6 chicks only to lose those too.

I have been putting poison down the tunnels where by hens can't get to or my yorkie. I have found quite a few dead ones in the aisleway. I have also caught 4 in the metal traps. Now I have one left that I know of and can't kill it. I bought on of those black plastic traps where they go in and eat the poison . I placed it right by a well traveled hole. Nothing. I put the metal trap there with oats in it as this is what they have been going crazy over. Nothing. I put cat food, raw chicken, peanuts, jelly covered cat food (someone said they like sweet stuff) and probably a few others baits. Nothing. Tonight I put bloody chicken livers in it from the store. So I hopefully will catch it.

 

[MyHappyChicks]

Get yourself a trap called the ratzapper. It is a electric trap that kills rats and mice when they step into it. There is no Poisson for the birds to get at. All they have to do is go in and they get zapped with electric charge and they are done. Works really great. I had problems and got 2 of them off of Ebay and after one week got them all of the critters. One night got 4 in the same one in about 3 hours.

 

[laura877]

I haven't seen a rat in awhile but I know its still there as it tunnels keep getting opened up after I push dirt back down them. This must be one smart rat as its not taking the poison or going in the live trap after the raw livers I baited it with.