Chicken proof rat traps ???

[bethandjoeync]

 

[tri-5-ron]

tally for last night not so good.

Nothing in the multi-trap, 2 snap traps triggered but missed,
but I was able to "white feather" 2 of them, missed 2 others.

Night shots with a flashlight are a little tricky. by the time I can find them in the crosshairs, the dart away.
That's ok,... Tonight's another night.
Pateince Ron,... Patience...

 

[tri-5-ron]

Ok, so here's today's update...

sadly, once again, the tally for last night was not too good.

I was only able to "wing" one with the rat-rifle,... missed another,... then realized that the rear sight mount was loose, ARGGH !

So this afternoon, I re-sighted the scope with everything tightened down nicely.
got the grouping down to about the size of a quarter @ 20 yds.

Here's a pic of the Varmit plinker.
900fps , .177, single shot, magnum air rifle, w/ 4x scope, and barrel mounted LED flashlight.

Next on the report,... we got nothing in the traps.

Apparently, the little boogers are not traveling along the ground much, and are preferring to access the feeder by crossing the header beam, and climbing down the chain.
It has sort of become a super highway for the cute and fuzzy Little Vermin!

here's a pic of the pen, feeder, and header beam...

Alright , ....I can deal with that,.....I'm a reasonable man,.....

Every good soldier knows that the best way to conquer an advisary, is to understand, and think , like that advisary.
So, Tonight we are going to try something a little different.
Since they seem to prefer taking the high road,....
we'll just take our little surprises up there to them !

I screwed a couple of boards across the header beam, and bungied the multi-catcher to the top, with the "tunnel of love" part, directly in line with the top of the beam....

I also screwed 4 of the snap traps along the lower runner of the beam ,
with the intention of adding a little "speed bump" for them, if they were to try to bypass the first little
fun filled ride and amusement park attraction.

They will all be re-baited, and set after the Girls are safely in their coop, and comfortably roosting tonight.
Hopefully this will be a little more effective than the last 2 nights of having everything on the ground.

But if not,....
then I still plan on having a little "sumpin-sumpin" for them as a backup.
If I'm lucky,...
this should be the last thing they see before it's "Lights-OUT"....

(but of coarse, this is kind of dependant on how much my munchkins pressure me to do something fun tonight),
HMmmm,.... lets see,.....
my son is a 10 y.o. little boy,.....

my daughter is a 9 y.o. little girl,.....

it's friday night,......

and,.. Shrek 3 opens tonight in the theaters.

gee, I wonder who's gonna win THAT argument ???

 

[FarmerRob]

Can't tell what you are using to bait the snap traps but I have always had success with chunky peanut butter. They find it hard to resist. However, I should add that I have had them lick creamy peanut butter off a snap trap without setting it off. The chunky you can wedge down into the bait holder and they will have to nudge it harder. Hope you are breaking their little necks soon. I hate a rat as much as a roach.

 

[Akane]

I finally just resorted to poison. My dog almost died during spay surgery because she'd eaten something poisoned and had just enough in her system to stop her blood from clotting so I hated to use poison anywhere on the property but it seemed the only sure fire way to kill every last one quickly. I was seeing 5 or 6 running about the coop and chewing holes in it every time I went in there day or night. We got a case to put the poison in that the chickens couldn't access and set it out. 2 days later not a rat to be seen except one dead body that was disposed of. So far no repercussions from using poison.

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
I have known a couple of Gunnery Sergeants during my life "Gunny" Hathcock was a really neat guy to just sit and talk with it is good to see someone keep his memory alive.

I am a big fan of bucket or barrel traps for rats ,mice are caught in the tin cats easy enough but rats most around here are a little too big for them

 

[tri-5-ron]

Last night I sat out for 45 minutes, with my 2 "Spotters" working on full alert....

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n148/tri5ron/bird aviary feb 2010/IMG_1221.jpg

In the first 20 minutes, I was able to "Carlos" 2 of them, and the spotters took care of 1 all by themselfs.
The enemy's troops are dwindleing, and seem to be on the retreat.
They no longer seem interested in "Advancing their positions".

Looks like I'm not going to need the RPG's, Flamethrowers, or ICBM's.
I've called off the Airstrikes for now, and have sent Puff the Magic Dragon back to base.

The Carrier group is now on Stand Down, and the U.N. has been notified.

back to DEVCON 1, for now......

Man !, I HATE RATS!!!

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
I have friends with jack russels that is almost what them doggies live for just so they can kill rats LOL

 

[Chickychickbucbuc]

Try placing a new 30 gal trash can(must have smooth sides) in coop or outside, with a ramp so rats can climb up to jump in can. Place dog food or peanut butter in bottom. Rats will jump in but can't get out. If a chicken jumps in it can jump/fly out.

 

[the lone rhubarb]

Oh my!!!!! I think we could be friends!!! I have maaaaaajor mouse problems (I know rats are alot worse, but they're all a nuisence),
and they are so hard to catch!! I think they only pose as stipid cause mine are hard to catch (or I'm just stupid ha ha). I use a live trap,
that works more than half the time, and a Pic brand snap trap that is veeery unreliable. The pic trap has only got 2 mice, the first
mouse I found was only half in it, and still alive but suffering badly and about to die.

So I drowned it. The second was, again, half in,
but it was dead.

I've thought about going in with a bb gun, but the sights are waay off. So anyway, I'm still working on it ha ha!! I will get them mouse
buggers yet!!!

(and I've found that chickens enjoy a good hunt every now and then, though they probably couldn't take down a rat!!!

)