I am at WAR!

[Carole AM]

I have a rat problem. It started earlier this year--we found out the neighbors had them IN THEIR HOUSE! Then they found the chickens & feed. I've lost a few birds (mostly chicks) here & there, and I trapped alot earlier this year. NOW they are back, and I'm ready to go to drastic measures!

I ordered a RAT ZAPPER, that kills with a shock. I can't wait to get it. I've heard good reports on these, but I'm open to any suggestions. I have baited snap traps, poison bait, and now I'm rigging up a baited bucket.
Wish me luck............

The chickens are closed out of this area in the barn, so no worries there.

 

[mlheran]

I feel your pain! We have rats (and probably squirrels) that move into our walls and attic every Autumn -it's an old wood-frame house. Thankfully they haven't found the duck or chicken feed outside, and I'm really hoping it stays that way.

It is just as you said, a battle! So far we just regularly set out the huge traps and hope for a loud THWACK in the night. I'm curious to hear how well the electric zapper works, since sometimes even these monster rat traps don't manage to bring them down instantly (I fear we have huge mutant rats!

).

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

 

[JenniferJoIN]

I'm at war with an unknown predator (probably a hawk) so I hope you do better at your war than I am at mine!!!!!

 

[newchickowner]

My aunt had a huge rat problem before she got a cat. But we didn't have chickens, so I don't know if a cat would work because they may attack the chicks as well. Mutant rats is right, they were so big that her Pappion (sp) would wrestle it and sometimes she had to smack the rat with a shovel to give the little dog a fighting chance! Of the five dogs she had the smallest one was the most ferocious! But after getting a cat, no more rats! Ever!

 

[arlee453]

The rat zappers do work - have two of them myself. I had a major rat issue out in my kennel building a few years back. I tried EVERYTHING short of poison to do them in. I didn't like the idea of using poison around my dogs.

I even caught 3 (yes, 3!) rats in a snap trap at the same time. But what I discovered was that for me, using traps and zappers was like pouring a cup of water on the towering inferno.

I basically was catching the young, stupid adolescent rats, leaving their wiley parents to keep on reproducing.

Finally I faced facts that I was going to have to use poison. I used the bait blocks and put them in places that my dogs could not get to.

I put out the bait daily and watched it disappear every night for about a week. Then they dying began. They all went under the building (concrete slab - probably had the taj mahal of rat communities down there) to die. It was the worst smell for about 2 weeks.....then they were just gone.

Interesting thing was that the mice came back. As long as the rats where there, I never saw any mice. Once the rats were gone, I saw a couple mice again.

I'd recommend the zappers in areas where your chickens are, and poision stuffed anywhere where you are sure they can't get to it.

Susan

 

[Carole AM]

YAY! Another good report. I can't wait to get it and set it up. I caught two young ones today in the snap traps, and all the bait is gone.

Let the killing begin..................

 

[annrich]

I have the same problem. My hens stopped laying. Here is some of the advice I got. Good Luck

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=19296

 

[silkiechicken]

All my rat traps get set off and bait get's eaten! Royicus shot one with a pellet rifle and I beat one to its end with a shovel... yet the traps can't catch them and I know they are out there. I am so close to giving up and just using poision!!! What's wrong with my rats!!! The ones I killed only had about an 8-9 inch long body, maybe 4-5 inch long tails? Not even close to the fat city ones either. I'm sure their heads would have fit in those traps but nothing!!!

I need to see what works for you.

 

[Rebeccahorse]

Do you have a dog?
We used to have rats as big as a cat.
We had two 6 month old puppies that either killed them all or enough to make them move away. We used to have a cat that would catch everything also. One time she caught a rabbit bigger than herself. And she had only 3 good legs.

 

[rooster-red]

I have a world class mouser, she's caught as many as 7 in one day.
I got her 2 years ago, since then the only mice I ever see are the ones she brings to show me.