I Hate Rats!

[powaychicks]

We are battling a rat problem too. It is very frustrating. We have laid down concrete pavers but they dug right under it. I'm hoping to be able to figure this out soon because I HATE RATS! I have a good friend that works for vector control and here is a few things he said....

"You may have both or either the Roof rat (just a common name for a tropical specie of rat) and our native Pack rat (Neatoma) that lives in rural areas. They can both squeeze thru pretty small openings-50cent size holes. 1/4" or 1/2" hardware cloth and steel wool to block them out. One thing you might think about doing is getting an owl box in the early spring. Owls can eat up to 1,000 rats an a year!!"

Hope this helps a little. We are fighting this rat problem as well and it seems like everything we do just doesn't help. As far as I can see they are not interested in hurting the chickens just the food and eggs but I am still worried they might try to bite one of our girls.

LEt me know if you find a good solution.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

As much as i hate sticky traps, i laid down two large rat sticky traps last night right outside that hole they chewed through in the aviary floor. In the middle of each, i dabbed peanut butter, chicken feed, and cat food. Went out this morning and could see movement. As i got closer, i saw that the traps were COVERED in young rats!!!

i made my husband go out and shoot them with his pellet gun. i felt pretty horrible, but each of those rat kids would have grown up to have rat families of their own. My husband said he could see another little head peeking up from inside the hole, so there are more. Guess i will repeat the same thing tonight. Seven so far, and counting.

Impress, i also looked at the rat bait stations at our local hardware store. They were pretty small and i wouldn't be able to fit a rat snap trap in there. So i bought two snap traps and figure i can make a bait station out of a cardboard box. i have seen a rat running back and forth in front of our patio. Hopefully this box trap will catch him.

 

[Ole rooster]

I've never had mouse or rat poision to work at all. Seem like the predator take is off somewhere and stores it. Very very few have I ever found dead. But rats poision all over the place. I like the .22 cb rounds. Quite and affective.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i shoved rat poison under our shed once. Next day saw a rat writhing around on the ground by our chicken pens. Although i've used it successfully, i am very uncomfortable with it. i would feel terrible if one of our chickens or ducks, or a stray cat accidentally got poisoned.

 

[goldeneggtees]

I got a large grandpa feeder from my husband for my birthday because we have had trouble with rats AND starlings! I didn't care for it, it was bulky, arrived broken and I was afraid one of my hens would get her head stuck if another hen was on the treadle part and got off (a few of my hens were eating from the sides). They had a great return policy but never sent out the replacement part they promised they would. I still have to check to make sure my husband's credit card was credited back, hope so because it wasn't cheap.

Anyway, rats are a huge pain. I know what you are facing. Our coop has holes too. I no longer feed in the coop and I am careful to bring in the feed at night and sweep up spilled food whenever I can. Unfortunately, they are smart and have probably trained themselves to only eat during the day now when the bowl is there. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!! I still see them.

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[goldeneggtees]

They also carry fleas which I have had a problem with every year now, despite my dogs being on flea meds!
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[dawg53]

Howlinggood, I thought you had trained rats?

 

[goldeneggtees]

Oh yeah! Remember that? One came running as I called the ladies for their daily treats, he or she was the first one there!

 

[dawg53]

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i would love to see a video of that!