Found a nasty rat stalking my ducks... to spare its life or not to spare?

[Silkie Princess]

That's just cruel.
I agree, kill it, but there is absolutely NO REASON at all to prolong suffering like that. Kill it, but be a good person and don't try to make its death as painful as possible. A gunshot, a clubbing, a shovel - any of these are faster and more painless than slow suffocation, whether it's via your "box" suggestion or drowning.
Sure, kill it - but there is no reason to be cruel like that.

Agreed. I used a shovel. Quick and effective

 

[Lenny loves chickens]

That's not humane

It what my freinds vets recommends when he has a sick rat or mice....is to do this. I was not meaning to be cruel!

 

[BelovedBirds]

It what my freinds vets recommends when he has a sick rat or mice....is to do this. I was not meaning to be cruel!

I don't know why a vet would recommend that, suffocating is not a humane way to go...

 

[allenw]

If you had a bottle of co2 gas to fill the box with after putting the animal in that would be a more humane way of doing it.

 

[Ted_Harrell]

rats can spread disease to your ducks, which would you rather have, dead rats or dead ducks, I personally would stay with the ducks, they don't bite....

 

[BelovedBirds]

rats can spread disease to your ducks, which would you rather have, dead rats or dead ducks, I personally would stay with the ducks, they don't bite....

That's why its important to store feed correctly, and space traps about the property to catch them. If caught, they can be removed.