Cracked bill

[BelovedBirds]

If you are going to get rid of rats, I have had success with live traps. And sadly you do have rats, not one. We kill them after we trap them. The snap traps are too easy for them to avoid or learn not to go near them. You may not catch the adults though. They are very smart. I am not as big of a fan of poison because they go and die somewhere you don't want them to. Plus you have a poisoned animal something else could eat or your birds potentially too.

they're definitely adults, big ones. I'll probably try a standard live trap first and see if I can get them the easy way, if that fails I'll likely make my own, which will be tricky trying to outsmart them, but we'll see.
I'm pretty lucky in where I live, my plan is to catch and relocate far from here. Theres a lot of land a decent drive away where they'll be far from houses/farms/livestock. Back to nature, they'll likely get snapped up by a predator but I'd rather that than poison them which would be the alternative.
They started coming to the garden back when the neighbours were putting bread and all sorts out for the birds. I kept finding pieces of bread around my ducks pen, having been dropped there by some animal. That definitely isnt helping.

 

[Quatie]

they're definitely adults, big ones. I'll probably try a standard live trap first and see if I can get them the easy way, if that fails I'll likely make my own, which will be tricky trying to outsmart them, but we'll see.
I'm pretty lucky in where I live, my plan is to catch and relocate far from here. Theres a lot of land a decent drive away where they'll be far from houses/farms/livestock. Back to nature, they'll likely get snapped up by a predator but I'd rather that than poison them which would be the alternative.
They started coming to the garden back when the neighbours were putting bread and all sorts out for the birds. I kept finding pieces of bread around my ducks pen, having been dropped there by some animal. That definitely isnt helping.

Yeah that definitely sucks when your neighbor make the situation worse. We have lots of fruit trees, so it hard to keep them away. I keep thinking I need a cat. They can definitely help keep the population down if you have a good one.

 

[Miss Lydia]

When my gander put a hole in his bill I put ACV into his water bucket 2 Tab per gallon. The rats we had them bad a few years ago we finally put out poison . Under the house where no one could access and under the coop where no one could access. I hated doing it but boy these rats were so brave coming out in the daytime.

 

[Quatie]

@BelovedBirds how is Dougie doing?

 

[BelovedBirds]

@BelovedBirds how is Dougie doing?

I meant to update yesterday, forgot!
She's all better now, heres an updated photo!

 

[Quatie]

I meant to update yesterday, forgot!
She's all better now, heres an updated photo!

That is so great to hear! She is such a cutie

 

[Miss Lydia]

Precious face

 

[ruthhope]

That bill is perfect again! Such a lovely looking duck.