How can I get rid of a rat?

[KirstenJL]

About a week ago I found a dead week old chick in the corner on the floor where the hen was brooding it and its siblings. It had a bite on the neck, but nothing else. I suspected a rat (it would have had to crawl under the hen), and I found a couple of tunnels in the bedding. Now I hear it in the wall of my wooden, insulated coop. I have been taking the mom and babies out at night ever since and have also been putting the feeders outside in a metal trash can and cleaning up as much spilled feed as I can each night. I put a bait station in the coop with Tomcat poison, but so far the rat has ignored it. Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Jordi15]

I have NO IDEA if the rat had anything to do with your dead chick. What I do know is rats and mice love peanut butter... If you can put a little on the poison it might work. I am assuming that a "bait station" is the trap where they go in and eventually die INSIDE the trap?? If the rat can leave the trap its possible your chickens might see this rat before it dies, then kill it for fun, and then be exposed to the poison. That sounds like a slim chance but I probably wouldn't want to take that chance. I have mice... We bought normal snap traps, set them up outside of the run where I can see they are burrowing... WITH PB, and so far have caught 40 mice!!!

 

[CatonFamilyFarm]

We are currently trying to control a rat problem right now. We have been leaving traps, poison, glue traps out at night. They are sneaky little buggers and are proving to be difficult to catch. After the hens are locked up in the coop for the night, we set out all the traps and bait (with peanut butter). Tomorrow we are planning on smoke bombing them. I found the bombs at Home Depot. Hopefully it works. Good luck catching your rat!

 

[chfite]

One important aspect of controlling rats and mice is to eliminate their hiding places. Brush piles and small buildings without foundations are good places for them to set up shop.

Chris

 

[KirstenJL]

Yeah Chris, I think that is my main problem. I've set up my property as a wildlife habitat and it has worked! I've had good luck keeping the bigger critters from my chickens with electronetting, but the rats (and I suppose weasels too) can slip right through. Now they have a nice protected place to set up shop. It would be impossible to mow the whole property and the neighboring property is crop fields (also good rat habitat). The first coop they got into is raised a good,foot off the ground. I've set out some snap traps and an electronic trap baited with peanut butter. I suppose time will tell.