Ratshot poison

[Cryss]

Does anyone have experience with this product around chickens ? The claim is that a chicken would have to eat its own weight in this poison to kill it.
https://www.dineachook.com.au/blog/how-to-get-rid-of-rats-in-the-chicken-coop/

 

[Egghead_Jr]

If it's so safe then why do they use a bait box?

I'm just saying it's probably a very overpriced product. When using bait boxes there is no way the chickens can get to it unless you have new chicks and I take the bait boxes away from coop area those times of year. I use Tom Cat chunx bait in the pails (4lbs?).

I'd compare pricing not the hype. Exterior bait boxes with chunk bait secured inside is safe. It's the pellets people use that is not safe as they are not secured in boxes and some folks just scatter it around for anything to eat.

 

[Cryss]

I use Tom Cat chunx bait in the pails (4lbs?).

I’ll look into that thank you.

 

[Cryss]

I am looking at other choices and methods but what I want now is any experiences or insights on the product Ratshot poison.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Poison is a never ending expense and rodents are smart enough to figure out what is killing their buddies. Deal with the actual cause, you are feeding the rodents. Do a forum search for Howard E.'s posts on rodents including his Rat 101 post.

 

[Mary Poopins Love]

Their is a treadle feeder for chickens. try to keep their water where it is hard for rodents to reach. Weird, but try to imagine your a rodent. And this is my brain......

 

[Al Gerhart]

Ducks can use treadle feeders to if you add a duck step. And your idea of water is a good one. Eliminate the things that draw the rodents in and problem solved.

 

[Cryss]

Poison is a never ending expense and rodents are smart enough to figure out what is killing their buddies. Deal with the actual cause, you are feeding the rodents. Do a forum search for Howard E.'s posts on rodents including his Rat 101 post.

All feeders come inside my home when the flock goes to bed. Waterers also. No food allowed in the henhouse. No food bits left in the run. If I’m feeding them they must be cozying up to the flock at the feeders during the day. Usually between 6am till 5pm. I considered treadle type of feeder but the price is more than I can handle for the moment. Perhaps in the near future.

 

[Bertie-Merle]

Does anyone have experience with this product around chickens ? The claim is that a chicken would have to eat its own weight in this poison to kill it.
https://www.dineachook.com.au/blog/how-to-get-rid-of-rats-in-the-chicken-coop/

It doesn't work at all and it's extremely expensive. If it sounds too good to be true .... well, you know the rest of the story. ; -)

 

[NatJ]

Does anyone have experience with this product around chickens ? The claim is that a chicken would have to eat its own weight in this poison to kill it.
https://www.dineachook.com.au/blog/how-to-get-rid-of-rats-in-the-chicken-coop/

That blog says the poison they recommend is called difenacoum.

If I look at their items for sale, the text says it contains difenacoum, but the photos of the product show the label saying Brodifacoum.

Here's one example:
https://www.dineachook.com.au/io-ratshot-blocks-250g/

So I would be doubtful about which ingredient is actually in the product they are selling.

The claim is that a chicken would have to eat its own weight in this poison to kill it.

I only find that claim on the photos of the packages for sale (the packages that list brodifacoum as the active ingredient.)




I do not have any direct experience. But I found a wikipedia article on each chemical, with links to various sources of data, and neither one sounds very safe to me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brodifacoum
"Brodifacoum has an especially long half-life in the body, which ranges up to nine months, requiring prolonged treatment with antidotal vitamin K for both human and pet poisonings. It has one of the highest risks of secondary poisoning to both mammals and birds."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Difenacoum
This wikipedia article doesn't have a concise bit to quote, but does have a link to a report on difenacoum
http://sitem.herts.ac.uk/aeru/iupac/Reports/229.htm
"Difenacoum...is highly toxic to mammals ... is known to be highly toxic to birds and fish and moderately toxic to aquatic invertebrates."

If you use it, no matter which ingredient is present, I would definitely make sure the chickens have no access, and that no other creature (except the ones you want to kill) has access either.