Rodents in the duckpen!

[MaureenD]

"I need to set up my game camera to see if we have rats coming out after dark.. Gives me the creeps."

It would me as well! I have not seen any evidence of mice yet, but since I live right next to a field for corn/soybeans, I know they are there.

Rats would freak me out. I have never seen a rat around our property in the 12 yrs we have been here. I would guess the hawks and coyotes do a good job with those.

We sure have SQUIRRELS this season!!! And we are now down one- I think a hawk got there nest- there is a pile of fluff half way up the neighbor's 40-50" pine.

 

[AimToMisbehave]

I think whatever was getting into my duckhouse was some kind of vole or shrew... whatever they are, they dig like nobody's business! And I see them all the time when I'm mowing our field lot, which is bizarre, because the area is just lousy with birds of prey!

 

[samantha LW]

I had a major rat problem in my coop a couple of months ago, we live way out in the country and I never see any evidence in my house (thanks, cats) but my nesting boxes are old bunny cages three high so they have wire bottoms with a tray underneath where I had shavings to absorb anything wet. I went out one day and an egg I had seen in the AM was gone. I started looking around and in those trays there were like eight RATS. I immediately pulled the trays out and did not put them back. I tried a live animal trap (becasue I am that kind of crazy) they would get the food and not set off the trap. I tried the break your neck traps but they would take the food and not set those off either. Then I tried sticky traps. I would find them moved, with rat hair on them but no rats. I finally gave up and went to poison. Now I am reluctant to put poison anywhere in my yard, we have cats,dogs,kids,chickens etc. who all might get in it but I went and got a box thing that has a whole only big enough for rats, the poison is in a "room" down a "hallway" in this box. It is also a type of poison that is ingested but does not activate until they drink. My run is pretty big (40x50) with the coop in the middle so I figured we were safe on the little buggers getting out where dogs and cats could get them. I have only had to remove one dying rat from the run. My chickens were all standing in a circle staring at it. I have not seen anymore rats or their droppings. But my rats were huge and I don't think a chicken could swallow one. Also, I believe because I removed their hiding place most of them went back out in my horse pasture. I have since removed the poison just in case.

 

[Buck Oakes]

I can't believe those rats got through all that! I'm glad u found a way to get rid of them

But couldn't u have just let a cat I ur coop for a while??

 

[samantha LW]

I have some Bantams so I was afraid the cats would kill them. My first thought was actually my weenie dog as she is a voracious rat killer but same thing, she would go for the chickens.

 

[Buck Oakes]

Gotcha

 

[AimToMisbehave]

I had a major rat problem in my coop a couple of months ago, we live way out in the country and I never see any evidence in my house (thanks, cats) but my nesting boxes are old bunny cages three high so they have wire bottoms with a tray underneath where I had shavings to absorb anything wet. I went out one day and an egg I had seen in the AM was gone. I started looking around and in those trays there were like eight RATS. I immediately pulled the trays out and did not put them back. I tried a live animal trap (becasue I am that kind of crazy) they would get the food and not set off the trap. I tried the break your neck traps but they would take the food and not set those off either. Then I tried sticky traps. I would find them moved, with rat hair on them but no rats. I finally gave up and went to poison. Now I am reluctant to put poison anywhere in my yard, we have cats,dogs,kids,chickens etc. who all might get in it but I went and got a box thing that has a whole only big enough for rats, the poison is in a "room" down a "hallway" in this box. It is also a type of poison that is ingested but does not activate until they drink. My run is pretty big (40x50) with the coop in the middle so I figured we were safe on the little buggers getting out where dogs and cats could get them. I have only had to remove one dying rat from the run. My chickens were all standing in a circle staring at it. I have not seen anymore rats or their droppings. But my rats were huge and I don't think a chicken could swallow one. Also, I believe because I removed their hiding place most of them went back out in my horse pasture. I have since removed the poison just in case.

Yikes!

 

[cayugaducklady]

I patrol my duck pen and the duck area with my ratters. If they find any vermin they take care of it with a shake of the head. It's the most humane way I've found to deal with critters. I do this when the ducks are secure in a foraging pen. One of my dogs is OK with the ducks. The other one has a super high prey drive.



I didn't adopt them from the shelter to work as ratters. They were described as chihuahua beagle (Cheagle) crosses. What I actually got was two mixed terrier breed feists. That expect and LOVE to work.

They are very busy keeping the orchards free from voles and field mice. I added the area to their patrol so I could incorporate my two animal loves together.

Outside of using my terriers, the most efficient traps I've found are the electrocuting traps. Death is instant and does not harm the local wildlife, pets etc. We live in an old New England farm house and when it turns cold everything small and verminy outside wants to move inside.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I patrol my duck pen and the duck area with my ratters. If they find any vermin they take care of it with a shake of the head. It's the most humane way I've found to deal with critters. I do this when the ducks are secure in a foraging pen. One of my dogs is OK with the ducks. The other one has a super high prey drive.



I didn't adopt them from the shelter to work as ratters. They were described as chihuahua beagle (Cheagle) crosses. What I actually got was two mixed terrier breed feists. That expect and LOVE to work.

They are very busy keeping the orchards free from voles and field mice. I added the area to their patrol so I could incorporate my two animal loves together.

Outside of using my terriers, the most efficient traps I've found are the electrocuting traps. Death is instant and does not harm the local wildlife, pets etc. We live in an old New England farm house and when it turns cold everything small and verminy outside wants to move inside.

Never heard of electrocuting traps before.

 

[Amiga]

So the ratters ignore the ducks? I may have missed something, I apologize if I did.