DIY Rat extermination around the coop

[Zmajor]

We live above a sheep farm so it didn’t take long for the rats of their hay barn to venture up and find our coop. It’s been a multi-year problem as I’ve never seemed to eradicate them each time I try. Then, we messed with their home nest and they retaliated by killing a hen. Now, it’s war. I’ve mounted a major defense. Here’s what I’m doing for 1-2 wks (1wk before and 1wk after a trip I’m taking), based on research from this site and others. Total spent: about $100. Will report back once done:

1. Each night, put up feeders or make it impossible for rats to access (ex: hanging feeder was moved up 5ft higher, grandpa’s feeder has a brick placed on the lid because our rats know how to open it)
2. Put out rodenator with peanut butter and feed as its bait (worth it. Have taken out hundreds of rats with this over the years. link: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/catchmor-ratinator)
3. Buy a generator exhaust pipe extension and blast exhaust into rat holes for a couple hours at a time (you may see the smart ones run out when you do this- try to see where they run to so you can gas that hole next)
4. Place a 50/50 mixture of jiffy cornbread mix and baking soda on pie plates near holes you suspect they still live in
5. After repeating the above for a wk, the night before my trip (aka today), buy 3lb of Rat-X and pouring pellets in each hole you can find. Then, stuff the holes with steel wool until you can’t stuff it anymore (keeps rodents in and others out, including my curious chickens and goats)

I use 1-2 box fans when running the generator to ensure it never impacts my flock. I’m performing step 5 tonight in hopes this really reduces their numbers so I can deter them from coming back for a while, then we’ll hardware cloth everywhere they enter our coop to really reduce the problem.

 

[Kiki]

Good luck!

 

[Penpal]

Please do get back with us.

My preferred rat killer would be a rat terrier or may a Jack Russell. Once had a Shiba In-u that killed rodents, but not like a terrier.

 

[mossyoakpro]

Add some thermal shooting and you will really give them the what for! I have drastically cut down my population with the ratinator, jiffy mix, poison(where the chickens don't go) and my nightly battle maneuvers with the thermal and a suppressed 22. Keep it up!! Sounds like you are getting it done.

 

[Al Gerhart]

"Each night, put up feeders or make it impossible for rats to access (ex: hanging feeder was moved up 5ft higher, grandpa’s feeder has a brick placed on the lid because our rats know how to open it)"

I gotta say you tried to do the right thing investing in a treadle feeder but unfortunately you bought a feeder that the negative reviews will tell you isn't actually rat proof. Always read the negative reviews and give them more weight than the positive reviews because people usually buy a treadle feeder because they need a feeder, not because they have a rat problem.

And restricting feed at night just teaches the rodents to feed during the day. So despite the spending of your hard earned money you still have not performed the first and most important step of the three step process to control rodents; practicing sanitation, which includes using a proper treadle feeder. Again that is not entirely your fault, you just got misled by clever marketing.

My advice is to first contact the seller and demand to return the feeder and get your money back. Make sure you followed the instructions on assembling, installing, and training, if you did and the feeder didn't stop the rodents they ought to replace the feeder with one that works or refund your money. They have a two year guarantee although a lot of Amazon reviews state that they won't honor the guarantee other than the Amazon time limit on returns. If they refuse, post pictures of the rats using the feeder and send them links.

Failing that, please post some pictures of the grandpa feeder, maybe something isn't assembled right or the balance is set too light. Maybe some of the other owners of the feeder can recognize the problem.

It is probably impossible but have you asked that neighbor to get that hay up off the ground too if possible so that snakes and natural predators can get to those rats? And part of the sanitation step is to clean up any paths that rodents use to get from the hay barn to your chicken coop so the natural predators can control their numbers. It must be some distance so rats aren't going to like traveling without cover to get to the coop. Rodents tend to urinate and poop as they move, leaving a trail, and some experts claim that raptors can see in different wavelengths than humans and see a rodent's trail lit up like a neon sign. Mow the grass very short, trim overhanging branches, allow no paths under scrap boards or in a fence row.

All the other methods are from the third step, elimination phase. None will be effective and they are never ending. Deal with the reason the rodents are there, the feed. If you can return that Grandpa feeder you can buy a real treadle feeder and have money left over for a nice dinner for the family.

Good luck. Keep us posted on how it goes.

 

[Zmajor]

"Each night, put up feeders or make it impossible for rats to access (ex: hanging feeder was moved up 5ft higher, grandpa’s feeder has a brick placed on the lid because our rats know how to open it)"

I gotta say you tried to do the right thing investing in a treadle feeder but unfortunately you bought a feeder that the negative reviews will tell you isn't actually rat proof. Always read the negative reviews and give them more weight than the positive reviews because people usually buy a treadle feeder because they need a feeder, not because they have a rat problem.

And restricting feed at night just teaches the rodents to feed during the day. So despite the spending of your hard earned money you still have not performed the first and most important step of the three step process to control rodents; practicing sanitation, which includes using a proper treadle feeder. Again that is not entirely your fault, you just got misled by clever marketing.

My advice is to first contact the seller and demand to return the feeder and get your money back. Make sure you followed the instructions on assembling, installing, and training, if you did and the feeder didn't stop the rodents they ought to replace the feeder with one that works or refund your money. They have a two year guarantee although a lot of Amazon reviews state that they won't honor the guarantee other than the Amazon time limit on returns. If they refuse, post pictures of the rats using the feeder and send them links.

Failing that, please post some pictures of the grandpa feeder, maybe something isn't assembled right or the balance is set too light. Maybe some of the other owners of the feeder can recognize the problem.

It is probably impossible but have you asked that neighbor to get that hay up off the ground too if possible so that snakes and natural predators can get to those rats? And part of the sanitation step is to clean up any paths that rodents use to get from the hay barn to your chicken coop so the natural predators can control their numbers. It must be some distance so rats aren't going to like traveling without cover to get to the coop. Rodents tend to urinate and poop as they move, leaving a trail, and some experts claim that raptors can see in different wavelengths than humans and see a rodent's trail lit up like a neon sign. Mow the grass very short, trim overhanging branches, allow no paths under scrap boards or in a fence row.

All the other methods are from the third step, elimination phase. None will be effective and they are never ending. Deal with the reason the rodents are there, the feed. If you can return that Grandpa feeder you can buy a real treadle feeder and have money left over for a nice dinner for the family.

Good luck. Keep us posted on how it goes.

What do you recommend as an alternate feeder?

Some follow ups to your great points:

The grandpa’s feeder is borrowed from a friend; we have other feeders as well but tried this to see if it worked. We found it works for smaller rodents but not for the very large rats that we see on our game cam which will post up 2-4 at a time on the lever to open the lid. Smart. These are the same smart rats that have learned to steal bait from the ratinator and escape. Since we didn’t buy it, I can’t return it other than to our friend who let us try it out.

We have not seen the rats during the day at all, other than when gassing their holes and some run out. And it’s been over a year.

Correct I am not one to tell a well established neighbor (our best neighbor, at that) to do anything different about her operation. The barn is over an embankment and it did take a year for the rats to find us from her place. I’m going to instead focus on eradicating and hardware clothing to remove their access to the food. Our lawn is cut short but your point did give me the idea to work on removing some nearby blackberries they most definitely live in. We got goats to take care of them but they’re not working fast enough, so we’ll bush hog them this weekend and I expect that to help!

We have rat predators, it’s just not enough. I even have 4 barn cats but we have electric netting around the entire chicken area so I’m afraid the cats aren’t able to really get to the rats as readily. Other predators just aren’t making enough of an impact, sadly.

Thanks for the long response and feedback!

 

[Zmajor]

Update: family member unexpectedly passing has me away from home more than I’d like, but numbers have decreased. However any reduction in efforts is delaying their removal. Some added steps we’re taking:

6. Using a bush hog to knock out some brushy areas 30ft-50ft from the chicken structure. We’ve seen some rats take cover there when we gas them out of holes mid-day so it’s gotta go.

7. Buying a lot more rat-x. They’re eating it every time I fill a hole with it and I’m seeing less rats. Yes, I could use a cheaper poison but I’m too worried about a rat dying in their range area and my chickens pecking at it before I find it (which has happened).

8. Rat hunting; my husband had limited success the last time he tried to pick them off with a 22 at night but we have a thermal scope we can borrow which should make it easier.

I hope to be hardware clothing the entire base of our coop & run (where all chicken feeders are located) before the end of August. Will report back with another status later this month!

 

[mossyoakpro]

8. Rat hunting; my husband had limited success the last time he tried to pick them off with a 22 at night but we have a thermal scope we can borrow which should make it easier.

Sorry for your loss This method seems to work for me....they never know what hit them!

 

[Al Gerhart]

Update: family member unexpectedly passing has me away from home more than I’d like, but numbers have decreased. However any reduction in efforts is delaying their removal. Some added steps we’re taking:

6. Using a bush hog to knock out some brushy areas 30ft-50ft from the chicken structure. We’ve seen some rats take cover there when we gas them out of holes mid-day so it’s gotta go.

7. Buying a lot more rat-x. They’re eating it every time I fill a hole with it and I’m seeing less rats. Yes, I could use a cheaper poison but I’m too worried about a rat dying in their range area and my chickens pecking at it before I find it (which has happened).

8. Rat hunting; my husband had limited success the last time he tried to pick them off with a 22 at night but we have a thermal scope we can borrow which should make it easier.

I hope to be hardware clothing the entire base of our coop & run (where all chicken feeders are located) before the end of August. Will report back with another status later this month!

Or you could stop feeding the rats and they would leave.

Really, it is that simple.

 

[chicknmania]

Please don't use poison. I hate rats too and we have a bad problem with them here, we've had chickens for 20 years and never had a rat problem like this year. I've knocked them down with Rat X ( I dust the pellets with cocoa powder or powdered sugar), traps, and cocoa powder or powdered sugar mixed with plaster of paris. I don't like doing that, it's not really humane, but the rats have got to go if at all possible, and I won't use poison. It kills anything it comes in contact with, including wildlife, cats, dogs, and poultry. And the rats can die anywhere where they are accessible to other things that might eat them and get sick. . But they always come back. Everyone has rats around here as we live in a farm community. What is the name of that rat birth control stuff, and does it work?