Any problem with dispatching rats with a pellet gun? (i.e. lead pellets)

[spauld]

Thanks for the info. LOTS of great detail in your posts!

 

[123RedBeard]

I don't see a problem with the lead pellets ... Chickens "usually" only eat things that they think taste good ... So they probably would not even attempt to pick it up ...

Do you have a "Ratter" near by? http://modernfarmer.com/2014/06/rat-terriers-rodents-pests-killing-terriermen/

Or get yourself a little Rat Terrier ...

 

[spauld]

Great article! Thanks for sharing.

 

[HeritageGoose13]

It's good you're using an alternative to poison. The best thing to do is clean up the coop, don't leave food out (Feed chickens twice a day, only as much as they will eat in a few minutes) and keep the feed bags where rats can't reach it. This will prevent them from returning. It worked for me... rats only come when people feed them. If they have no food they go back into the wild.

Also I would like to say I always like it when people recommend terriers! They are much better for rodent control than barn cats, IMO.

 

[spauld]

Yep, I removed the feed and am now feeding the chickens further out in the yard, on top of my picnic table....then taking the feed back into the house (and leaving no scraps behind!). Haven's seen a rat since doing that, but I'm still planning to set out my electronic trap, which should arrive by UPS tomorrow.

That said....I sure hope I can eventually return to feeding them in the coop. We've had chickens for years and never had a rat problem. Not sure why they suddenly appeared or even where they came from. We live in the burbs and there has been sewer line replacement going on in our neighborhood. My wife thinks the rats live in the sewers and were disturbed enough by this latest maintenance work that some wandering rats picked up on my chicken feed location.

As to poison, I do understand that people use it because it is extremely effective. And if there is a HUGE population, it may be the only way to bring the numbers down to where other methods can control the infestation. But that poison is REALLY effective and seems to have a long shelf life. Even a crumble of it getting dropped about could be a very bad thing. I had an old shed torn down last year and witnessed my hens picking around near the demo site. About an hour later, one of them died a horrible death. The only thing we could figure out is that she had gotten a hold of a pellet or two of old mouse poison. I didn't have any in there, but the shed was old...so a previous home owner may have placed some in there. At any rate...I will avoid rat poison if at all possible.

 

[HeritageGoose13]

You can still feed the chickens in the coop, just give them no more than they can finish in a short amount of time. I keep my feed in the coop, but inside of a metal garbage can.

And that's gross about the rats in the sewers...

 

[birds4kids]

I have used the Gamo 1300fps .177 nitro piston gun to dispatch racoons and a skunk last year.

 

[123RedBeard]

I've killed a woodchuck with my .177" 1000 fps Gamo, one shot behind the ear ... I killed two pigeons with ONE shot, and many squirrels, chipmunks and skunks!

 

[Cacique500]

Last night about 1:30 am...cci shotshell out of a Ruger mkiii at about 10 feet (up in the top of the shed) Ladder + flashlight + gun was interesting but it worked...

Second one I saw got away...but will put out birdseed tonight and try again.

Also have the key lock bait station on the shed floor...smeared peanut butter on the chunks to make it more enticing (with gloves on of course)

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Head shots take confidence in your ability and that particular distance. Racoons are most vulnerable profile of head between the eye and ear. Front of heads are slopped and thicker skull like bear, foreheads are a very tough place to attempt. I could make head shots, even squirrels up to 100 ft, but opt for the "boiler box", behind shoulder for both lungs and maybe heart shot. Regardless, it's all about placement and knowing your own ability for humane kill. Size of pellet and speeds are not do or die as to what one can humanly kill. What's that old saying? "5 ft-lbs needed if you hit the head or 5,000 ft-lbs if you hit the tail and some where in between those values and placement is needed to humanly kill an animal." Something to that effect anyway that's saying- it's not the gun it's the placement of shot.

My confidence in ability gets better and better after every afternoon plinking with my current gun. Re zeroed my .22 magnum break barrel airgun Thursday to 40 yards and worked out the mil dots up to 200 ft. Was only a 5 mph crosswind so about 2" of drift and was able to hit 3" metal swing targets at that distance 3 of 3 attempts (has three targets). Took a break and then think the refreshments got the better of me as accuracy plummeted to the point I couldn't hit the 2" metal swings at 150' which earlier were almost too easy so called it a day. Went inside and wound up ordering a $9 polymer barrel clamp bipod off eBay in preparation for the zombie armageddon. Oh, and chicken predators too.