How to rid of rats/Search read

[ukrkoz]

Hello all.
yes, I read the entire page of links for same question here.
We live on 6 acres in rural area, backed by fields and trees. All kinds of animals come from there.
I have about 60 -70 birds. 100sf coop on raised beams and smaller coop, from a store.
About 6 000 sf 2 runs, all fenced and netted. I can't dig skirt in as we have crap for soil, digging a hole here is fighting with rocks and I am 70. Plus, chicken wire eventually rots in the ground anyway.
Trying to "hide food" is not practical, as they 1. spread feed all over everywhere anyway and 2. missus cooks (yes) them porridge in the morning and gives them green salade during the day, as they are not let outside and runs. So one way or another we have food scattered inside runs.
We have barrows everywhere. Store poison does not seem to produce any noticeable effect, and I tried everything. I have bird proof poison boxes or cover barrows with stepping stones, so birds don't have access to poison. Poison is duly eaten - barrows only keep growing in numbers and size.
we have never seen rats in the runs during the day, does not mean, they don't do that.
I am seeking advice on definitive solution. Or, at least, something that will stop rats colony from growing, as I can tell, that's what's going on. Barrows multiply. And I already spent hundreds on poisons. Done plaster mixes too. No effect.
For reason a I can't explain rationally (wife) we won't have a ratter. Though yes, I see the point to that.
I am thinking - put feeders inside the coop for the night and start locking coops. We will still have feed spread anyway, but not as ample, as when feeders are left outside.
Any WORKING solution? Outside of the night shift in the run with silenced 22 caliber?

 

[LikeTurkeys]

I struggle with the same problem. We have about 100 birds in multiple coops.

The only thing that has really worked for us was blocking off known entrances to the coops with hardware cloth and putting poison out. Also caught and killed them with nets for a while. That wiped them out for a couple months, before they found new vulnerabilities (which I'm planning to take care of when I get some time off from school). They ate more poison when they didn't have easy access to feed.

Definitely keep your feeders inside. If your coops are ratproof then that will help a lot since they won't be able to feed at night which is when they are most active.

Try to get rid of any places they might be nesting. It's hard for us because they live in the trees, but if you have anything obvious (like woodpiles) try to clear it out because it will destroy their nests and be easier to catch them manually if you have a net.

 

[ukrkoz]

Thank you.
We have barrows coming from under the ground. Tunnels. Covering exit points does nothing, they just barrow around it.

I'll start putting feeders inside and leaving open trays with poison for the night.

I'm there 6am every morning anyway, not hard to hide them.

They don't touch birds, but I ain't paying to feed rodents either.

Yes, coops are rat proof.

 

[Penpal]

Spray a boundary all around the chicken home with a solution of water and peppermint oil, either essential oil or cooking peppermint. Very cheap, keeps all rodents types away. They should move away, but will come back when the scent fades. However, this will give you time to do what you think needs doing without the worry of coming face to face (or hand to teeth) of a rat.

Snakes are a great deterrent.

There is also the water bucket trap. You give them a ramp up the bucket. Place a rope from one side of the bucket to the other with a pipe covering most of the rope. Put a bait in the center area of the pipe, like peanut butter. They go for the bait and the pipe turns, they fall into the water and drown. I have never used one but it looks pretty efficient.