Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

Hubby is allergic to rodents so we have put peppermint oil, cedar, and black pepper all over. My dog is a great mouse/chipmunk/baby rabbit hunter, I wonder if he's big enough to take on a rat?
Tax, baby time
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A lavender or blue? They're in a shadow here, much lighter in person
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Early bird demonstrating how to eat through your feet...
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All of the eggs in this incubator have hatched! There in the back, is a tolbunt polish!!!
About to go check on the outside chickens before the rain is supposed to hit...

I am going to do peppermint spray next.
It may be a fluke, but there was much, much less rat activity last night than previous nights.
I have had them take a couple of toxic baits (Agrid3 - no secondary toxicity risk) so maybe a couple died. Not convinced they took enough to get much more than a bellyache, but a girl can dream!

 

[TOMTE]

Hubby is allergic to rodents so we have put peppermint oil, cedar, and black pepper all over. My dog is a great mouse/chipmunk/baby rabbit hunter, I wonder if he's big enough to take on a rat?
Tax, baby time
View attachment 4183223
A lavender or blue? They're in a shadow here, much lighter in person
View attachment 4183225
Early bird demonstrating how to eat through your feet...
View attachment 4183226
All of the eggs in this incubator have hatched! There in the back, is a tolbunt polish!!!
About to go check on the outside chickens before the rain is supposed to hit...

Early bird is so wise... Those youngins are lucky to have someone like that to learn from

When it comes to ratter dogs, it isn't size but ferocity that matters. In fact, most ratter breeds are small. Yorkies, westies, and rat terriers were all originally bred to hunt rats and other vermin. And then you have other small breeds like dachshunds and Jack Russels which were bred to go after badgers and foxes but were/are also used as ratters...

Dog nerd tax

Aliss butt

 

[SimpleJenn]

Early bird is so wise... Those youngins are lucky to have someone like that to learn from

When it comes to ratter dogs, it isn't size but ferocity that matters. In fact, most ratter breeds are small. Yorkies, westies, and rat terriers were all originally bred to hunt rats and other vermin. And then you have other small breeds like dachshunds and Jack Russels which were bred to go after badgers and foxes but were/are also used as ratters...

Dog nerd tax
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Aliss butt

Well Fenix is a fairly big pomeranian, according to their history they were ratters at some point! Also herding, which he does try with chickens. It'll be interesting when we free range to see how his behavior will change. I'm sure they'll bully him

 

[SimpleJenn]

Tax coming soon, waiting for the newest chickies to fluff up...

 

[Ikslo]

We went out late one night to lock up the run and I saw a little mouse running up a ramp. Damn. So traps were set and 7 were caught that night and two the next. None since. I’m sure they’re still there, just wiser to our trap. We will continue to monitor. Especially worried since we have a special needs chicken that can’t get up on a roost. Although I suspect those mice were probably worrying those up high as well, what with our labyrinth of ramps and boards. May have to rethink the setup. But partner doesn’t want to change the roosts themselves and I understand his reasoning.

Tax: pretty sure Einstein has accepted Curiosity as these two are together a lot and C gets really anxious in the mornings when E jumps the gate and he can’t get out to protect her. So cute.

 

[Sylvester017]

Last night when I went to do evening chores around 9:30pm I startled a large rat that ran trying to find a hiding spot. I wasn't fast enough to clobber to critter.

How is the situation with Mr Rat on your end?

Set this out at night w/ tasty treats. We catch one on average every week. DH doesn't sweep up the dried rat poop so other rats smell it & think it's a safe spot to go after the bait. Sounds yucky... but it works... keep things too clean & disinfected & it won't go near the trap.

 

[Ponypoor]

Set this out at night w/ tasty treats. We catch one on average every week. DH doesn't sweep up the dried rat poop so other rats smell it & think it's a safe spot to go after the bait. Sounds yucky... but it works... keep things too clean & disinfected & it won't go near the trap.

They should love my barn floor in that case hahahaha!

 

[SimpleJenn]

Forgot to share this yesterday

 

[SimpleJenn]

2 of the four that just went in the brooder
Look at that head poof on the polish!!!

I wonder if it will be a bearded pompom?

Hey there lil cutie!

 

[Sylvester017]

Rats are just so adorable... And prolific the cute little buggers! Look at those sweet dewdrop eyes and those long whiskers... Sigh... I miss my girls.
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BUT as much as I love rats, I know how much of a nuisance they can be. Good luck! Getting rid of an established colony is a war with lots of battles, and you certainly wont win all of them.

Tax
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Rodents are cute but in the wild they can be dangerous as well as a nuissance unfortunately.

Is that a Gorilla Cart you show in the pic? We have two of them... an old & a new model