How the heck do I get rid of these things?!

[MatthewsHomestead]

Ok. So we have a rat problem. We have taken care of feed issues. And we are working on all the wire fencing (replacing with smaller welded wire). How the heck do we kill and run these guys off for good?

 

[ashlierami]

Ok. So we have a rat problem. We have taken care of feed issues. And we are working on all the wire fencing (replacing with smaller welded wire). How the heck do we kill and run these guys off for good?

The best thing I ever did was I got a cat! I know this isn't an option for everyone and not everyone can find a cat that won't harm the chickens . I was lucky enough to find 2 cats that keep these pests away from and out of my feed shed. My cats do not eat them but they do leave them dead on the porch steps for me. But that sure beats my feed getting eaten by these rodents.

 

[drumstick diva]

Get or borrow a couple of Jack Russell Terriers, they are rough on rats and love doing it.

 

[Duckstail]

Cats. Dogs are a much bigger responsibility and not as good as cats when it comes to small prey hunting.

Cats kill over 7 billion small animals a year.

 

[Aerliss]

Once you remove easy food and shelter access they'll move on. You'll never be totally rid of them, of course (I've got visitors to my compost heaps), even if you start trapping and poisoning. But you can massively reduce the problem by taking away what they are after, which you're doing.

Trapping and poisoning rodents in an outdoor environment has always seemed like a fool's errand to me. They'll keep a stable population as long as they have access to resources. Even if you kill them all, new ones will arrive. A predator living on the property, however, will make them more wary, even if you never see it kill a rodent, its presence, patrolling your property, will be keeping your resources safe.

So yeah, do what you're doing, plus get a cat or small dog. Personally I think terriers are better ratters than cats, but cats are better at getting mice.

Though the best compost heap guardian I ever had was a very territorial doe rabbit

 

[MatthewsHomestead]

I'm looking into a Craigslist add for a pair of "blood thirsty killer rodent kitties". They aren't baby kitties but not yet a year.....

These rats are living under the floor of our big work building. Thought about wiring off all the books and crannies but that could prove impossible. It's old and there are many. I will scope it out today.

 

[MatthewsHomestead]

What about other birds such as guineas or peafowl or turkeys..... Are there any that would run rats off? A friend suggested muscovies would run rodents off...?

 

[MatthewsHomestead]

Or even geese? Aren't they mean-ish?

 

[oregonkat]

If your chicken feed was what they were after and they do not have access to other food sources, such as a compost pile, the population should start to drop. Unfortunately this may take a little while. A barn cat is a good idea, or maybe two. If you are planning on raising chicks, make absolutely sure that they are secured as rats will take a chick quite happily

 

[Howard E]

A severe rat infestation is a complicated thing to deal with. It is all found here.......and the good stuff starts on page 2 of the thread.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rats-when-the-army-went-to-war-on-them.1216226/

Do invest the time to watch the old CDC videos so you know what you are up against.

Ultimately control is a combination of 3 things:

1. Remove access to food and water
2. Rat proof structure
3. Use poison bait blocks

A lot of folks shy away from using the poison bait blocks, and a lot of folks are not successful getting rid of their rat problem until they get past that. Just saying.

All the other things like dogs and cats, trapping, shooting, etc, won't even scratch the surface of a severe rat infestation. Their ability to reproduce overwhelms these puny efforts.