I've been waging war on the rats coming into the chicken run and some are so bold as to even be out in late afternoon. I've used snap traps, plaster balls, an electronic trap and a live trap with varyiing results. I don't leave food out in the run and I mix chili powder with their food in the coop (and it is raised off the floor). I am still getting rats, however, and am thinking I need to dig hardware cloth into the ground close to the inner perimeter to stop their getting in. I already have two feet of it going up the outside of the run and two feet going out but they tunnel underneath. So, my question is, how deep do I need to go to discourage the typical rat? Three feet, four feet? Please don't say any deeper than that because I don't think I have the energy to dig that deep!
Quote:Interested to see input here. I've got a wood rat that is coming around looking for free handouts. I have wire 2 feet out from the coop, but this guy is hanging around in broad daylight and runs away as soon as I come out. I'm planning on getting a Rat Zapper from Amazon. Someone else I know here on BYC has used hers with good results. Good luck - hope you get some helpful answers.
So, my question is, how deep do I need to go to discourage the typical rat? You can't dig deep enough to keep them out. Set more snap traps You cant have too many
I have a battle with rats as well. They seem to coexist fairly well, and the only thing I can tell they are eating is the chicken poop. I'm afraid of poison because I wouldn't want them to die inside the run, and although the poison was effective in killing, it didn't stop more from showing up. I think I'm going to end up with a bait station, but I'm still very nervous about the poison. I've used huge glue pads and they managed to get themselves off of them and leave them for little curious robins and other birds that have gotten stuck on them. I won't do that again. I think it's never-ending. It has been for me. However, like I said, they seem to coexist. And if I don't see them, I just pretend it's not happening. Today I saw a new tunnel and that always freaks me out, but all chickens are healthy and happy and so I will just keep praying it stays that way until the rats in this city are wiped completely out by some freak chemical accident.
you need one of these! 20 lbs of awesome! he catches them, dispatches them, and disposes of (Burys) them, no kidding! In all seriousness though, I think really the only thing you can do is get a solid concrete floor, or a lot more snap traps
