rat problem in my duck pen...cats to the rescue!!

[kysilkies]

We're having a mice issue, thankfully not rats, and my wife is harping we get a cat...My fear is the cat will mistake a baby chick for a mouse, we just had one born and it fell from the nesting boxes to the floor of the coop and would have easily been a target, I think...Other than that, I think a good mouser would do us good, I just don't want issues with it and ducks and chickens that free range...

 

[chickenlisa]

I won't let these cats in the pens with my ducks. I do have 2 yard Roosters (huge softies..not fierce at all- they just look it.) and the shelter folks said that most cats won't attack adult birds...if I had peeps running around my yard, they might go after them though.
So I'm not worried about that here....if I find them trying to get IN the pens...then we'll have a problem. I'm expecting baby ducks in a month- My Mandarin hen and Australian Spotted hen are both setting, as of yesterday and today. I wouldn't want the cats going after baby ducklings...that's why I got them- to get the rats so They don't get my baby ducklings.
Good Luck with your dilemma. If the babies are kept in where a cat can't get to, it should be ok. But I'm not sure yet...I'm just going from what they told me.

 

[rooster0209]

I free range my chickens and guineas, the cats avoid them. I do not trust them around little chicks tho. I keep the little chicks w/their moms in enclosed pens.

The cats are so scared of the grown chickens, that yesterday BB caught a bird. She was in the yard ripping out feathers and a RIR came to see what she had. She left her kill to the RIR and waited till the chicken lost interest before she took it back.

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
You have to be much more carefull with pellets than with blocks, since many rodents will stash the pellets in a more convient place for them. Since you never know where the stash will be, it could be where your birds, pets, or kids can find them ( I once found a songbird's nest with about a dozen pellets and dead birds in it) To be honest if my only choice was pellets I would skip the poison bait entirely. rats and mice are bad enough but they seldom kill the way that poison pellets can. The whole purpose of the blocks is so they won't be carried around and are to big and hard to be eaten by anything other than a rodent.

 

[chickenlisa]

that's nice to know. I'll only use the blocks in the future if the cats don't do their job. Thanks!

 

[chickenlisa]

I nailed 1 block to the floor in another shed...the cats are still doing ok in their shed and actually calming down some so they don't bolt and hide when we walk in. They've been eating dry and canned food and have used their litter box too. My daughter just tried to hold Willy but he tensed up and jumped out of her hands. But he's accepting being pet and touched...Lilly watches the whole time with her adorable face trained on us and huge eyes taking it all in.
We also used 2 smoke bombs in the newest tunnels yesterday. That was AWESOME! Stinky, but so great to see smoke come out of the end of the pen, so we could fill in the tunnel there, and let smoke fill it all up. We did that twice, and hopefully killed some rats underground. I'll pull the poison block days before letting the cats out...I don't want any rats running around who ate it, but didn't die yet, being caught and eaten by the cats.
Lisa

 

[rooster0209]

If your daughter wants to hold Willy, have her try this. Pick up Willy, then promptly set him down. Do this several times, after a while extend the holding period. This worked on my Tigger. She was nervous about me touching her when she first came here. While she ate, I could pet her head and eventually her body. I read that by picking her up and quickly setting her down, she would realize that she wouldnt be constrained; so to speak. It took several weeks.

It sounds like Lily is coming around. Staying in the room with you is huge in untamed cats.

 

[chickenlisa]

oh good. Thanks Rooster...
We think they are already doing so much better than expected. When we've adopted housecats, they went into hiding for up to 3 days and didn't eat, or use their litter box that whole time. This is so good to see them chowing down and acting like healthy cats...especially when they were part of that shelter for 3 and 5 years.....I don't think us holding them will keep them from being better hunters...I'd love to be able to pet and hold them, especially to show them how happy we are when they do leave us fresh kills....(rats and mice though, no baby bunnies or songbirds, please!)
I'll have my daughter do that (I will too) in hopes that he'll tolerate it and learn to trust us even more.
Thanks again!

 

[Barred Rocks forever]

dont muscovies eat rats from what i hear ? some hunters who use dogs and ferres to hunt varmits also offer there skill and go to your farm and take care of your rat problem ferrets can pop down the hole chase the rat out and the dog nails it

 

[chickenlisa]

never heard that...but it sure sounds interesting!