My city won't legalize BYC because they are worried about rats

[WindingRoad]

The code could be like, Tredel feeder required, rat proof coop required with this much of this. Covered water required, it wouldn't just be a clean setup. To pass the inspection, they would have to have all of those things, which are expensive, and then to get them, then they have them and they might as well use them. It is worth a try at least. Even if the city doesn't go for it, then fine, but it is worth a try.

Treadle feeders don't work for the most part. Chicken bill feed from one side to the other and eventually it get high enough to spill over the trough. Common sense.

 

[WindingRoad]

Treadle feeders don't work for the most part. Chicken bill feed from one side to the other and eventually it get high enough to spill over the trough. Common sense.

Chicken decrease insects and weeds, they create excellent fertilizer, can help keep your yard clean, they compost by eating food items you would usually throw away, and they can be quieter then most dog. There are a few benefits.

Few being the operative word. Many people don't free range, the fertilizer pretty much stinks, stop buying more food than you can eat, not when they are singing the egg song whilst eating those insects.

 

[Carson213]

Amsterdam has already solved this problem. Go into any restaurant and you will see cats.

I live on a grass seed farm in Oregon surrounded by fields full of mice/rats/etc. I leave hundreds of pounds of chicken feed in the storage room of the coop on the floor. I have never had one mouse or rat tear into a bag.

SOLUTION: I have three killer cats that decimate my perimeter. I have never had a gopher, mole, rat, mouse, weasel, or fox near my coop or house. Our local humane society offers out “barn cats.” honestly, I will probably get a couple more. They never touch my chickens and just guard the property.

 

[Carson213]

Amsterdam has already solved this problem. Go into any restaurant and you will see cats.

I live on a grass seed farm in Oregon surrounded by fields full of mice/rats/etc. I leave hundreds of pounds of chicken feed in the storage room of the coop on the floor. I have never had one mouse or rat tear into a bag.

SOLUTION: I have three killer cats that decimate my perimeter. I have never had a gopher, mole, rat, mouse, weasel, or fox near my coop or house. Our local humane society offers out “barn cats.” honestly, I will probably get a couple more. They never touch my chickens and just guard the property.

i want to get a few maine coon ferrel cats to clean house. we do have coyotes...but the dog scares them away. my next dog will be a ridge back that lives outside.

 

[WindingRoad]

Amsterdam has already solved this problem. Go into any restaurant and you will see cats.

I live on a grass seed farm in Oregon surrounded by fields full of mice/rats/etc. I leave hundreds of pounds of chicken feed in the storage room of the coop on the floor. I have never had one mouse or rat tear into a bag.

SOLUTION: I have three killer cats that decimate my perimeter. I have never had a gopher, mole, rat, mouse, weasel, or fox near my coop or house. Our local humane society offers out “barn cats.” honestly, I will probably get a couple more. They never touch my chickens and just guard the property.

It's like the cop who said "I've never unbuckled a dead person who was in a MVA". NO you just haven't been to enough MVA. And most cats won't kill a RAT. I have feral cats all over my yard and they've never even come close to the RATS. The rats have come awful close to the cat. Maybe they are blind. This was in broad daylight. And my neighbor is a tree hugger and has a family on skunks in one of her attached sheds. I can smell every so often and they don't bother rats. Three of the babies were out in my yard one night. One of them walked towards me and I told her you are walking the wrong way if you are planning to spray me. LOL

I've had chickens for 3 years now only got rats last fall. That was after my neighbors across the road lost all their chickens to a fox because the husband left the coop open. My tree hugging neighbor next door has 2 Bull Mastiffs and a greyhound. I'm thinking those dogs keep the big predators away. She was just outside walking them at 3:12 AM.

I'm sure you know Maine Coon cats cost upwards of $1000 dollars even here in Maine. And if anyone knew you were gonna use them for rat patrol they would put up a stink for sure.

 

[Carson213]

It's like the cop who said "I've never unbuckled a dead person who was in a MVA". NO you just haven't been to enough MVA. And most cats won't kill a RAT. I have feral cats all over my yard and they've never even come close to the RATS. The rats have come awful close to the cat. Maybe they are blind. This was in broad daylight. And my neighbor is a tree hugger and has a family on skunks in one of her attached sheds. I can smell every so often and they don't bother rats. Three of the babies were out in my yard one night. One of them walked towards me and I told her you are walking the wrong way if you are planning to spray me. LOL

I've had chickens for 3 years now only got rats last fall. That was after my neighbors across the road lost all their chickens to a fox because the husband left the coop open. My tree hugging neighbor next door has 2 Bull Mastiffs and a greyhound. I'm thinking those dogs keep the big predators away. She was just outside walking them at 3:12 AM.

I'm sure you know Maine Coon cats cost upwards of $1000 dollars even here in Maine. And if anyone knew you were gonna use them for rat patrol they would put up a stink for sure.

i only have free cats. i would never pay dog money for a cat...people offer them to me all the time. the lifespan of a cat on the farm is too risky to spend $1000. i would gamble $100 on a maine coon and if it worked out maybe more.

 

[Carson213]

i only have free cats. i would never pay dog money for a cat...people offer them to me all the time. the lifespan of a cat on the farm is too risky to spend $1000. i would gamble $100 on a maine coon and if it worked out maybe more.

actually....if somebody gave me a maine coon and it lasted 5 years, i would pay $1000

 

[Carson213]

actually....if somebody gave me a maine coon and it lasted 5 years, i would pay $1000

Can I rent one? or two?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Mandatory checks cost money. It's obscene to have written an animal control officer or some other official has to inspect prior to having poultry and that would cost an annual fee to keep going.

Town/city/suburbia codes should simply have you state what method of rodent control you'll be using. They can approve on case by case basis applications. Those that claim they will use rat traps would be rejected. As we should know, five rat traps are not going to stop a hundred and exponentially growing rodent population. I personally believe bait stations should be written into codes to solve the problem. Those not wanting to use them shouldn't be allowed to keep livestock in close proximity to neighbors; e.g. suburbia, town, city locations.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Can I rent one? or two?

No one is going to rent out an expensive breed that requires so much matinence to be a barn cat