My war against rat/ mice infestation

[andreanar]

Don't miss and shoot the chickens

I probably would! I tried hitting them with a shovel, ended up just grabbing them up off the ground and throwing them in the fire. I think they might be mice. These things are about 4-5 inches long, without counting the tail, and they can jump! Id pick up a pallet to toss in the fire, and about 6 would swarm my feet, so Id just started grabbing them.

 

[Kiki]

I probably would! I tried hitting them with a shovel, ended up just grabbing them up off the ground and throwing them in the fire. I think they might be mice. These things are about 4-5 inches long, without counting the tail, and they can jump! Id pick up a pallet to toss in the fire, and about 6 would swarm my feet, so Id just started grabbing them.

Woah you are brave.
I'm terrified of rodents.

Grab them all!

 

[Backyard Bruce]

Yeah not a big fan of rats either and at 4-5" I think that is what you have, field mice are much smaller body.

 

[mowin]

4-5"? Definitely not mice... them are rats.... Gosh I hate rats... had one chew the wires on a $700 dishwasher that was only a month old. Called him rat bastard. Waged a 3 week battle before I won the war.

 

[andreanar]

I can't even believe how much I've got under control in just a few days. At first I was stuffing poison down inside the pallet pile, and down into their burrow holes. I did this for a week. Then for 2 days, I waged a fierce battle!

The first day: While pulling up the pallets to burn them, I found a lot of dead and dying. But still, a lot alive. After getting rid of their hiding spot, the living either ran to the woods or under the coop. I could see them cause the coop is now jacked up 2.5 feet off the ground. I put up bait stations and got rid of any debris that they could hide under. Literally, nothing is on the ground or cluttered!

Day 2: mowed and weed eated all around, put chicken wire around bottom of coop so chickens can't get under it, but I can. Washed out inside coop, searched every nook and cranny for holes. Covered the one I found with hardware cloth inside and out. Put glue board under the coop where the hole was. Caught 4 within 10 min!
Used a few more glue boards under coop. I hate using them, but I hate rats in the coop more. Found a lot more dead and dying. There is no food in coop, they are now fed in the lawn, food is put away at night . When putting the girls in for the night, I didn't see even 1 scurrying around! Wow, at dusk was the worst, with them running all around when I would go out there.

Having rodents sucks and getting rid of them takes a lot of work. Now its just staying on top of it and not letting things pile up again. I'll always keep bait stations around and never allow food in the coop again.

 

[techbsmith]

Just be careful that your chickens don't come across any dead rats that were poisoned.

Exactly - I would never want to kill them via poison, as I wouldn't want my chickens catching and eating a mouse that's been poisoned. I've used 5 gallon buckets with water and plank traps to capture/kill rodents very effectively. I just can't see it being worth the risk that one of your chickens could get sick or die after eating a poisoned rodent.

 

[andreanar]

So, no rats, no mice! Nothing for 2 days on the glue boards, no dead or alive ones to be seen anywhere! I'm so relieved.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Exactly - I would never want to kill them via poison, as I wouldn't want my chickens catching and eating a mouse that's been poisoned. I've used 5 gallon buckets with water and plank traps to capture/kill rodents very effectively. I just can't see it being worth the risk that one of your chickens could get sick or die after eating a poisoned rodent.

Here in Ca, they outlawed poison that will kill a secondary animal by eating poisoned rats.

I still don't use it. I put up feed every night, set traps, and fight the good fight.

They are known to chew the wires in our vehicles causing lot's of high $ damage.

 

[Folly's place]

I used bait stations, carefully placed, and got things back under control. The bait station in the coop was also in a closed live trap, so only rodents could enter it.
My coop is on an old concrete foundation, and has been very secure, until last year. Finally the broken concrete is a bit too broken, so rats tunneled in. Now it's hardware cloth with rubber stall mats over top.
Mary

 

[andreanar]

I had to take drastic actions to get the infestation under control. I will back off the harsh stuff and just practice better food and junk piles,once I'm sure they have moved on