Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[Anniebee]

Does anyone know a good way to get rid of those varmits? We have mice and rat trouble also. Feed is in garage in a metal bin, we put rat & mice poison in the garage. Back at the coop, when I pin up the girls at night, I see the mice and rats scurry about to their tunnels. I have filled their tunnels with wood, gravel, they just dig more. We put a weasel trap back there & one of our hens got her neck in it

. Good news is that DH was home that day, went back to the coop to make sure they had water, and he got her out. She made it and is fine now. We put "have a heart" traps out and caught 2 feral cats and 2 chickens

. We have 70+ chickens and about 10 of them get out before I open the coop door to let them free range.

Darned if I know Outpost JWB. ... I too have jammed up the holes with wood and bricks, and they just merrily tunnel a new route around them eventually. Our coops are virtually rat and mouse proof now, but they are still here, which is a big nuisance - no matter what.

Having a darling dog, we do not have ANY form of rat poison or bait on the property - anywhere. It is sooo attractive to dogs ( even though some manufacturers claim they have put a deterrent into the mix ) .... we would never risk it. One just never knows .... so we are better safe than sorry. That leaves few options.


One I HAVE tried - with reasonable success - was to fill the holes with unsoaped wire wool which can be bought in skeins at larger hardware stores. They HATE wire wool, and as long as it is hidden from the chooks, it works - for a while ------ until the nasty so-and-so's move further along to find a new way of digging out - or in. Another thing they allegedly hate is peppermint oil. I am going to try that myself - but have to buy some wire to put over or around the tunnels, so's the 'girls' don't get into the peppermint. I doubt it would do hens much good. Actually, pouring or spraying some peppermint oil INTO the tunnels - and covering the tunnels with wire widely spread might be a darned good idea. Just thought of that.

Other than that, we have used rat traps - not with cheese, but with bread and raspberry jam. They seem to enjoy that and get themselves trapped. Thing is though, there are so many of the darned vermin, it would be a mammoth task to set them every night, and de-activate them every morning - catch or no catch. I think they have killed off all the little field mice ( I kind of don't mind field mice in a way ) .... as I have not seen any around for several days now ....... unless they are hiding. Seems we have a very very large rat somewhere - and boy would I like to get a hold of him or her.

Good luck to us all, in getting rid of the varmints.

Cheers ...... AB.

 

[vehve]

You might need a cat. Or a terrier.

 

[Fancychooklady]

We had problems with them also. I bought a 'station' from bunnings that allows me to put out the poison in a container that has holes in each side and a 'tunnel' to the poison. The container locks and the poison goes on a peg so the us NO way the girls or the dog can get to it. It had really helped! Haven't seen a rat or mouse around in the past 6months or so

With this method you need to be vigilant about disposing of any carcasses. Last spring I had a man buy coro eggs from me because he had poisoned his entire flock of 8 birds. The birds couldn't get to the baits but one of the rats , seeking water after taking one of the baits, died in the coop. Naturally (to their demise ) the chooks took advantage of a ' free feed '. His wife was devastated. I agree with vehve, cats are the best weapon , occasionally mine will get locked in the big coop at night and that helps to keep numbers down. Vermin are a universal problem and the more feed you leave laying around the more vermin you will attract.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Well after my blrw copped a flogging from that nasty Sussex roo , I locked the culprit up. Yesterday he in the gale forced winds he got out. My poor king George was his victim this time. Covered in blood and one of the points of his comb missing. My Daughter and I brought him in , gave him a warm bubble bath and blow dried him while he lay completely lifeless in front of the fire. He is currently in a cardboard box ( that doesn't allow him to stand up) in the foyer , crowing his head off.
Time to take him out to his girls. Hubby gets home Sunday, then we will get rid of that rogue Sussex.

 

[satay]

Well after my blrw copped a flogging from that nasty Sussex roo , I locked the culprit up. Yesterday he in the gale forced winds he got out. My poor king George was his victim this time. Covered in blood and one of the points of his comb missing. My Daughter and I brought him in , gave him a warm bubble bath and blow dried him while he lay completely lifeless in front of the fire. He is currently in a cardboard box ( that doesn't allow him to stand up) in the foyer , crowing his head off.
Time to take him out to his girls. Hubby gets home Sunday, then we will get rid of that rogue Sussex.

Oh poor king George. I hope he is better soon.

 

[zoii]

Here are our new girls ... only a few days old ... just a quick update on our white leg horn boy aka killer the neighbours were upset that we re homed him , they loved his crow ...

 

[satay]

I didn't know Marans could have Peas.
How do you have a Cream Legbar....?!??

Being that I own marans but am by no means any form of expert My guess would be that she is crossed with another breed for perhaps darker egg colour or better body form or something like that but as I said I am no expert on the breed. I am sure chook will explain it to us she is far more knowledgeable on marans than I.

 

[satay]

Here are our new girls ... only a few days old ... just a quick update on our white leg horn boy aka killer the neighbours were upset that we re homed him , they loved his crow ...

Your new little ones are beautiful.

 

[zoii]

I will try and take some more photos of them . I have 1 isa brown she hasnt started brooding but at what age do they start and if she does this should I buy her some eggs to snuggle with ??

 

[satay]

I will try and take some more photos of them . I have 1 isa brown she hasnt started brooding but at what age do they start and if she does this should I buy her some eggs to snuggle with ??

Generally isa browns don't go broody. They are a hybrid breed that they have bred the broodiness out of as they are designed to lay large amounts of eggs. I have never had a broody one but you may get one that is the exception to the rule. If so it would be anywhere from 8months up . if she does go broody I would get her some eggs.