How to get rid of rats in the coop

[SegiDream]

You might want to consult with a professional. But if I were you I'd do something about the food first. Maybe try a combination of different traps near their tunnels and pathways/along walls. We had a problem a couple years ago with them getting into the crawl space/garage/dog food. We used a combo of sticky glue traps (use with caution do not want to catch a chicken!), live cage traps which got the full grown rats, and we also used poison. I was worried about our dog maybe catching a poisoned rat (we didn't have chickens then) but that never turned out to be a problem. I think maybe the poison was the kind that gets activated when they leave to drink water? Again that's where something like a pro would be more knowledgeable especially towards your specific situation...

 

[PatriciafromCO]

I have really contemplated using poison. I think that it would work best but im just worried that my dog or chickens would get a hold of a poisoned rat.

I tried poison one time and it was a back fire.. My barn cats got one of the mice that must of ingested some . Cat threw the mouse back up and the cat would no longer mouse for the bad experience. Later on in owning the birds,, I saw that my chickens and my ducks also would also chase down and eat a mouse. So am thankful I quit using poison.

 

[Howard E]

Best advice given to date was from Brother Al.......you might want to go back and read that again. His rat proof feeders are the most effective weapon you are likely to find when it comes to the the sanitation component of dealing with rats. Chickens have full access to feed......rats do not. I have one......it works.

After that, everything you need to know will be found in this thread........

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rat-control-the-video-series.1337456/

Sanitation.....exclusion.....elimination. And in that order.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Thanks Howard.

And yeah, it is that simple. Stop feeding the rats and mice and they will leave, get caught by predators while hunting for wild food, or they will eat the poison and die. But don't use poison, it kills their natural predators. Just get a good treadle feeder and stop feeding the rats.

But you know, some folks need a hobby and for some that hobby is trying to outwit a rodent.

 

[Ellie in FL]

rats, once you get them, hard to get rid of. Cut the feed source off, use the snap traps, put a cage or something over snap traps. I live in the florida Keys, we do not have a rat problem, due to the Heavy population of pythons, that don't belong here. Invest in a few spayed or neutered barn cats. They will do the trick. Or Pythons. Hell we will ship them to you, at no charge. The snakes are getting my chicks. very sad.