How do I deal with RATS?

[weenie007]

I have recently gotten new tennants in my coop, RATS. How do I get rid of them.I don't think I should use poisen because of my girls but how else am I suppost to get rid of them. Help Please!!!!

 

[portlandpeeps]

we had rats when we first got our chickens. my DH placed traps under the door (this worked in our old coop) so the chickens couldn't get to it. he trapped about 10 rats and we haven't had any problem since.

 

[tomcio]

Well, if you were in Thailand, you'd just chase them with skewers

You could set up small/medium animal traps with bait and take care of them one by one. Just keep in mind they reproduce very fast.

I have a bit of a problem with field mice every fall, they try to make it into the house, and it's an uphill battle. I think for each one I catch, there is 10 more that come!

Good luck.

 

[weenie007]

do you think if I locked up all the chicken food all the rats would go away?

 

[jhm47]

The rats won't leave. They have a nice place, and will continue to eat from your chicken feeders. If that fails, they will find another food source (eggs, garbage, whatever).

You need to get some anticoagulant poison, which will kill them slowly. Most rats that die from this will die in their burrows and will not be exposed to pets or your chickens. If a few should die aboveground, they can be picked up and disposed of safely. Even if your pets of chickens should eat some dead rats, the poison can easily be remedied by injecting a bit of vitamin "K". Good luck!

 

[4 Love of Baby Chickens]

The BEST way to deal with Rats and mice is too get yourself a C-A-T. That spells CAT!!!! I just got a new cat yesterday and he's already caught a mouse!!! Go Blue!!!!

 

[Mahonri]

We bought some rat poison, slathered it in peanut butter and put it in a little PVC tube with a hole in only one end, just big enough for the rats to get into. (We are using three tubes... just checked them an hour ago and they are all empty) We've picked up 6 dead rats so far... don't know how many have died in burrows.

One day I saw the chickens fighting over something... it was a dead rat!

I quickly removed it and disposed of it.

Rat poison works...

CAUTION: If you think the rats might be living near your home, be certain to make your home rat proof so that they can't get in or out... The last thing you want is for them to eat the poison at the coop and them come die in your attic. YUK!

 

[chilling in muscadine]

Now at my coop they get shot with a 22 sporting hard nose not holllow points and then they get fed to one of my many snakes. Free snake food, I like. But the safest way is to get you a small catch um alive trap. That way theres no way your flock can get injured or poisned during the process. Then of cource you will have to kill the rat once its in the trap. Peanut butter I have found is best for baiting the trap. I would rescue a cat from the pound next, but please make sure its altered. The cat will earn its keep. Good luck!!!!

 

[weenie007]

They make these traps that electricute the rats. I wouldn't put it in the actual coop part but in the side room where the empty bags of food were kept that the rats got into first.

I already got rid of the empty bags and the food will only be out from 8 am to 9pm. Then it will be locked in a metal garbage can that is locked. The extra food is kept in a cooler. Hopefully this will take care of them. Thanks for all the help.

 

[ThornyRidge]

Outside of the CAT ( I have one but he is far more entertained by the other critters in the woods such as birds, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, etc) and I do believe I have some traps.. is there a safer bait/posion.. My coop is in an area that is considered woods/ravine with potentially lots of hidey areas that a human could not locate as opposed to animals.. I want to nip rats/vermin in the bud before out of control without harming my cat/other cats in area.. note that I did build my coops up on blocks so that they are completely exposed underneath but that for some reason has not totally deterred the rats/mice. I also do not throw feed around on ground leaving it uneaten.. all food in bowls/food dispensers that are picked up and locked in coop each night.. at this point at night nothing able to get in . I think I will start with some traps and see if I score anything- have noticed dug out hole/holes in vicinity of coop.