Neighbor released feeder rats!!!!

[21hens-incharge]

OK so the title says a lot of it.
We do not have wild rats here. They were raising feeder rats for a pet. They got rid of the pet and released the breeding pairs of RATS!
I have seen one in my babies run! Tonight I went to close them up and it came out the pop door! They are young, just under 8 weeks old.
It is not cooperating in using the snap traps I have set. I put glue traps out before I came here. I am scared of using poison. I have the birds of course but I also have 3 large dogs and a few wild bunnies call my yard home.

Any tricks to catching the blessed vermin?
Any tricks to using poison and NOT killing every living thing around?

 

[Blooie]

Oh, 21....at this point I'd be asking for how to avoid killing my neighbors!! I don't know what to tell you, except offer a sympathetic shoulder!

 

[Granny Hatchet]

maybe try googling bucket of blood. Its non toxic trap for mice and rats using BOSS.

 

[firestomp]

try this if other things fail. Get a small tote, plastic shoe box or even a heavy built cardboard box (cat litter box works well). cut a door in the side up high for you to get in and place a poison bait block on a nail pushed through from under the bottom in a corner. Cut a couple 2x2 inch holes for rats to enter and exit. This works, or you can buy the made rat bait stations, place any of this in the run or even the coop. Your pets and chickens can't get to it and the rats will eat the bait and go off and die some place. they also make some really handy little live traps. peanut butter crackers or a cookie is good bait for that. then drowned them in the trap in a trash can. POOF, no more rats either way.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Thank you Blooie. I am beside myself with anger since I know there are males AND females.

I was going to move the chicks but found my favorite little bantam has been pecked and is bleeding. She needs the segregation space now.
If I find who hurt her I may be making soup!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You could try the ramp and barrel water trap, I have heard many different versions, with floating bait, and spinning wheels. Google rat barrel trap.

 

[21hens-incharge]

The poison that is available locally is labeled as super toxic with secondary poisoning cautions.
I am afraid they may die in the dog run and the dogs will eat them.
I may have to order something.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

You could try the ramp and barrel water trap, I have heard many different versions, with floating bait, and spinning wheels. Google rat barrel trap.

thats the bucket of blood. I used it for mice, worked good but I had to keep it on the outside of the coop.

 

[21hens-incharge]

OK so a 55 gallon drum is a viable option for me. I will begin looking for one. I will have no problem with shooting a rat, barrel or no barrel.

I read in my searching of a bait called "just one bite". It appears it can be purchased in 8 pound packs now! Supposedly it is not as dangerous to dogs...... But 8 pounds! That would be a lot of rats to need that!

 

[BYC910]

A bright light and a 22 pistol loaded with CCI bird shot and a quick hand will kill them dead . I killed four last night . But a good bait station can be made using a 3 inch pvc pipe with a clean out with a plug cap in the middle . Make it abut four feet long two feet either side of the clean out T . that way you can open the cap plug and bait it with peanut butter and rat bait . Rats like to hide in pipes . DW and DD won't let me use poison that's why I shoot them . I hate rats but love shooting them.