How to get rid of rats

[Ella_r_ab]

Hey everyone,

We have a pretty big rat problem in our backyard. Is there anyway to kill them without killing our free range chickens?
Thank you

OMG we had this problem too. What we did was take a bucket (Home Depot kind) and filled it with water about 3/8 I think. (Depends on how big the rats are in your area.) then you just put peanut butter inside on the walls. It sounds really mean and inhumaine but it’s definitely one of the best ones. Or if you just want to trap and remove the rats you can use that bucket method . My family did that also.

 

[ChookieG]

Your cat is so impressive and effective! It's hilarious that he leaves the rodent "gifts" to you. Thanks, also, for being sensitive about bringing your cat in during the day. There's a stray/outdoor cat that terrorizes our chickens and has killed many birds in our backyard since summer. It also sleeps on our outdoor furniture and uses our yard as a litter box. Unfortunately, we're going to have to trap it soon. I wish more people would keep their cats indoors.

Thank you! That rat was freakin huge! Wanna see the recent rat & mouse catch??

WARNING! GRAPHIC IMAGE!! :


Would you believe I used to hate cats?? It started with very bad experiences since young but I started to grow pretty fond of them later on. Now I love them to bits!

We got him when he was 6 months old and it was our first. He was a rescue cat and not an easy one for beginners but I learnt to manage his feisty and bossy personality and he's very well behaved now. I even got him to do tricks and listen to commands.. who said cats can't be trained?

Yes I've had cats come and kill lots of birds and native lizards in my yard and leave their grotesque dumps behind. I believe if you were gonna have cats, you should darn well be responsible for them and make sure they don't pose a nuisance to your neighbors and threat to nature. Many people seem to think that birds are safe from cats as long as there's daylight but based on my experience, I've never seen mine bring in any bird kills at night. Logically, birds have many predators so when they're the most vulnerable, ie. at night, they would surely be roosting in places where they are least accessible!

We only let ours out for 5-6 hours and that's really all they need. They're suppose to sleep most of the day but we (humans) organize their lives according to ours so they don't get enough rest. Also when our cat gets enough sleep, his poo hardly smells. Our chooks were a bit frisky for a couple of days when we introduced our cat but they got used to him afterward as he just watches them from outside the run. One of our chooks even does a staring competition with him sometimes!

You can trap and rid the cat from your yard but believe me more will come. They are territorial animals so when the scent of the dominant cat leaves another will take it's place. If your yard is small enough and properly fenced with no trees overhanging, you may try to cat proof it. My yard is a 1/4 acre so it's gonna be expensive for me to do so. So far the best thing that's worked for us is our cat. He had to learn the hard way as he was a very sociable cat when we first got him and just wanted to play. He realized how mean the cat world was when he kept getting attacked. He's learnt to assert himself and now marks his territory and fights out his nemesis so no other cats come in now. We also aggressively chase out any cats who venture in our yard during the day. Use water sprays and shout and bang loudly when you chase them. It'll take a few tries but they'll eventually get the message that you're the "dominant" cat and to stay out.

Good luck!!

 

[saysfaa]

https://www.abc.net.au/gardening/factsheets/diy-rodent-free-chook-feeder/12322946

 

[feather13]

You can trap and rid the cat from your yard but believe me more will come. They are territorial animals so when the scent of the dominant cat leaves another will take it's place. If your yard is small enough and properly fenced with no trees overhanging, you may try to cat proof it. We also aggressively chase out any cats who venture in our yard during the day. Use water sprays and shout and bang loudly when you chase them. It'll take a few tries but they'll eventually get the message that you're the "dominant" cat and to stay out.

Good luck!!

Your cat is so lucky that you rescued him! It sounds like he has a big personality and is smart, too . I saw a big cat stalk our chickens yesterday, so I set out a trap last night, but didn't catch it. This cat comes around during the day and is in our yard all night (we catch it on security camera) I chase it out of the yard, but now will have to leave our chickens in their coop until I can catch it. It's disheartening to think once I catch it more will come. Another problem is that few of our local shelters will take cats and they also will release them back into my neighborhood once they're spayed or neutered, so that's not helpful.

I love indoor cats, but the ones left to roam all day are a nuisance. After reading Peter Marra's _Cat Wars_, I also realize that they're causing the extinction of bird species worldwide (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EBEIKKW/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1).

 

[KingD]

Hey everyone,

We have a pretty big rat problem in our backyard. Is there anyway to kill them without killing our free range chickens?
Thank you

This is a question that comes up every single week.
I always say the same thing. Poison is pretty much the only way of getting rid of ALL the rats from area. Traps will lower the numbers.
I have found a cat is a good way of controlling numbers. I would never leave the chickens roaming with a cat in the vicinity though.

 

[KaseySnow]

I have heard of people having a lot of success with Rat X. It takes a lot of product and a few days to work, but it is very effect. It's not a true poison as it actually just blocks the rodents' thirst receptors and they essentially dehydrate and go into a coma. There is no risk of secondary kill because their bodies aren't poisonous, so if they die in a place where chickens or other animals can get to them, there is no harm from them being eaten.

Best method is to actually feed the rats at night for a week and get them used to coming to a certain place for yummy food. After that, replace the stuff you've been giving them there with a pile of Rat X and just a little bit of the food you have been feeding them so they feel comfortable eating it still. Repeat nightly for up to a week. You will start noticing more and more food being left behind as the days go on. This is because your rat population is decreasing.

Here is a video of this method being used effectively:

We have a rat problem at the coop I work with because even though we put the food away at night, it is public and people throw food in the run. We have been fighting them with rat traps in the barn for over a year, and it has lowered the population significantly, but there are still some smart ones that remain. We are about to utilize the Rat X method due to the safety to animals and pets.

 

[ChookieG]

Your cat is so lucky that you rescued him! It sounds like he has a big personality and is smart, too . I saw a big cat stalk our chickens yesterday, so I set out a trap last night, but didn't catch it. This cat comes around during the day and is in our yard all night (we catch it on security camera) I chase it out of the yard, but now will have to leave our chickens in their coop until I can catch it. It's disheartening to think once I catch it more will come. Another problem is that few of our local shelters will take cats and they also will release them back into my neighborhood once they're spayed or neutered, so that's not helpful.

I love indoor cats, but the ones left to roam all day are a nuisance. After reading Peter Marra's _Cat Wars_, I also realize that they're causing the extinction of bird species worldwide (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EBEIKKW/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1).

What a bummer! I know what you mean! We wanted to free-range our chooks initially but because of cats and hawks we decided to keep them in a big run. We have four and they have a 82 square ft of space to hang out. I don't see an easy way out for you so is it feasible to keep them in a run instead?

I guess the local authority's justification for releasing the cats back once neutered is so that new cats won't repopulate the area? Fair enough but that doesn't deal with existing cats still being there and causing severe devastation.

We're lucky to have this cat. He doesn't leave our yard when let out as he has plenty of things to keep him busy. He comes home for food every couple of hours and is happy after 5-6 hours of play. He gets his last meal at about midnight and cuddles up between my feet to sleep - cramped legs are often a problem though!

BTW I hope we're not annoying anyone else watching this thread as we've kinda gone off-tracked a bit !!??

 

[cmom]

This is my earlier post about using poison. If you are careful you won't poison other animals.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-get-rid-of-rats.1447393/post-24102560
THe green line represents a patrician inside the bait stations that the rats have to go around to the bait and I put the bait stations in a pet carrier or cage and put it up on a shelf and nothing but the rats can get to it. Rats are good climbers.

 

[cmom]

What a bummer! I know what you mean! We wanted to free-range our chooks initially but because of cats and hawks we decided to keep them in a big run. We have four and they have a 82 square ft of space to hang out.

I don't have a cat but do see some prowling around mostly at night on my cameras. Not sure what they're after, possibly rats. I have nice large pens for my birds too. My pens average between 600 to 1200 sq ft each. Lots of room. I haven't free ranged in years do to losses from predators, both aerial and ground.

 

[ChookieG]

I don't have a cat but do see some prowling around mostly at night on my cameras. Not sure what they're after, possibly rats. I have nice large pens for my birds too. My pens average between 600 to 1200 sq ft each. Lots of room. I haven't free ranged in years do to losses from predators, both aerial and ground.

Wow! Your chooks must be happy! Yeah cats would do a good job hunting rodents at night. I think my cat just took out another rodent two nights ago.. heard alot of squeaking in the evening.. pretty sure it's not a bird as they sound different. Looked around briefly but can't find the carcass though.. will just have to wait for the buzzing of blow flies and a nasty odor!