How to get rid of rats in coop

[Farmer Mike S]

So my dad has a coop that sits on the ground, and when he moved the coop there were two rats under it, 1 alive, 1 dead. I have a raised coop about 100 feet away, which has never had a rat problem in the years I had it. Sure enough, I open my coop and discover a rat inside which got away. I don't know what the safest way is to get rid of this rat

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Tis' the season for rats, with the year winding down and it's getting colder, rats are trying to find shelter for the winter, it happens every year in my shed, the digging is the first sign, then more digging, we have tried traps, but rats are too smart, though we caught a few, mostly we have resorted to poison in a bait box kept out of reach of all other animals, makes me so nervous, but it's the only thing that actually works, we will continue to get new rats until it freezes hard. So good luck.