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

[cluckcluckluke]

Luke, when you say disinfectant, do you mean dettol or pine-o-cleen or is there something special I have to get from the pet suppliers? I have a terrible rat problem, and see them dashing into the coop during the day to pick up any scraps. The cat caught an enormous one the other night, but I saw two pop their heads up and look at me yesterday! We live very near the river, so I'm not sure if they are native or regular pesky rats. The girls don't seem overly distressed by them, so maybe there's enough for them to eat so they don't get bitey at night with the ladies.

Well, I usually just use the cheap Lavender disinfectant, Although at the moment I'm using a Eucalyptus disinfectant and eucalyptus is also good some way or another.
If you make a thread Everyone will tell you to get a poultry disinfectant, There are livestock and poultry cleaner etc but they do cost more. I don't really have them at my feed store so I just use the human disinfectants and dilute it to a home grade solution as I think that just straight hospital grade is a bit harsh.

It depends, I think I only 2 mice/rats. You may have to get more involved if you have more.

There are other ways of actually getting rid of the buggers, I take the approach along with a lot of people that if you have Poultry you have vermin. The only real way to get rid of them is to destroy the nest and that is hard.
You just have to make sure you keep every thing clean as rat pee can cause some strange diseases. I'm not trying to scare you but Weil's disease is the worst that can happen when In close proximity to rodents, If untreated can be fatal. You catch it by letting an open wound touch rat urine. Rat urine can also get into water which is another way of getting the disease.

This is worst that can happen, I'm not saying it will. Wearing gloves will help when clearing stuff out that you know rats are in or have been in.
There are many affective baits you can get if you want, other wise live traps are easier and less chance of you poultry getting poisoned but remeber, with mice you can't catch and relise you have to have the job of killing them. Most people prefure the sping loaded traps, I used these. I set them up and every evening and every morning they would be set of some where else than were I had put them with the peanut butter gone, I did this for 1 week and they were gone for ages, but did come back. So they do provide a useful defense.
Also, Keep feed contained and clean it up at night if any is left. Putting it in feeder of the ground will certainly not stop rodents getting to it as they can just climb down the wire from the roof.lol.

Good Luck and don't get to over whelmed, I am surprised I have actually typed this much and actually know this much.lol.
Hope you get them or at least keep them at bay.

P.S use Peanut butter for the spring loaded traps as they can't just take it, they have to lick and chew it and get right in the trap to set it off.

 

[IamSamSam]

I have no idea, they've moved into ours too.

I think I'm going to try the one from another thread where you cut a hole in a plastic storage box so they can fit inside and then put the mousetrap inside. Means you can set traps right inside their house and not worry the chooks will get caught.

I'm too wimpy for the water trap method lol

I takes feed in and have traps under the coop floor. And the dog takes care of ones that escape

 

[IamSamSam]

Hi there, we are very close to you, Thornleigh. Welcome to BYC!!! We built our coop and run last winter and got four pullets of different breeds. The Australorp lays very well, is friendly, and a beautiful big bird, she holds her own against cockatoos in the garden! The Rhode Island Red is an excellent layer too and she is very friendly and bold. She is the first to pant in the heat, though, so we watch that in the summer. (We have put a mister in the permanent run - they free range about 4-5 hours most afternoons.) Then we have a Barnevelder, lays about half the time and is a bit more timid than the others. Last, a Silver Campine, who is rather scatty, screeches to be let out, yet jumps into my lap whenever she wants to. I'd recommend the breeds in that order. We got them at 8 weeks old, feathered so not hard to look after, but young enough to become quite accustomed to us, and friendly if they want to be. We added a permanent run to their coop, with small gauge wire right on the ground, and used sleepers to hold in about 10cm of coarse river sand. It's quick and easy to clean with a kitty litter scoop and drains really quickly when we have lengthy wet periods. We made sure it's high enough to walk in, that also helps with cleaning, as does raising the coop off the ground, too. Here's a photo - there are more in my photo gallery. If you'd like to pop over during easter and have a look, let me know and I can PM you our address. Good luck with the great chicken adventure!!! I absolutely love it - and my chickens. Katrina

I m loving your coop

 

[satay]

HI Spikes welcome. I too love your coop

 

[Spikes Chooks]

Thank you so much. I have made one major improvement. Turned the bench round so I can use it for chicken adoration

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Welcome Spike, glad you joined!

 

[megacakes]

Thanks for the advice, guys. You might remember I put the coop up on a couple of pallets when it was super wet here in January, and I suspect that there's a very happy rat family living underneath, eating all the bits that fall through the slats. The chicken tractor which I'm using as a coop has been a complete disaster. The bloody thing is falling to bits, and I only got it in December. All these photos of your amazing coops are making me very jealous! As both me and my husband are about the least handy people you would ever meet, I think I'm going to have to pay someone to come and help me build something which I won't worry about collapsing in a strong wind or storm. I do have a friend who is good at that stuff. I wonder what he'll do for a BBQ and a case of nice beer....

 

[satay]

Thought I would jump on this morning and wish all the members of the aussie thread a happy Easter. I have family all arriving today from Brissy for our birthdays/Easter weekend. I hope everyone has a great Easter.

 

[Pinky Macgyver]

Happy Easter to you and everyone too :-D

And happy birthday :-D

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Thanks satay and Pinky. Happy Easter to all.!!




I Got 7 eggs Yesturday, weew!!!! So happy, It's like having my first eggs again!!

It's either the dusting that we have done or the added calcium I have given them, or both!