No other option?

[The Moonshiner]

Try Rat X it's safe around livestock, & other animals.

Thanks
Couldn't remember the brand but ya there's at least one kind that won't second hand poison.

 

[african chickens]

Thanks
Couldn't remember the brand but ya there's at least one kind that won't second hand poison.

I'll see i might try it

 

[Ravenseye]

For me, the approach has to be multiple efforts. I have two elderly ferals and while they infrequently get a rat, they're not as good as they used to be. This year the rat population has soared. They primarily live under an outbuilding that is next to the coop and the run is simply the fenced in area between the large outbuilding and the coop. For years, woodchucks have dug under the outbuilding and now those tunnels are also used by rats. Inside the run, I use a bucket trap, half filled with water and black oil sunflower seeds floated on top along with a 2X4 leaned against it as a ramp. I catch most of the rats in that. Sometimes two a night. That is supplemented by some CO2 powered traps and some battery operated "electrocution" traps. I also use RatX since I have dogs too. Really, it's the food sources that I struggle with. My wife feeds scraps to the chickens and feeds the songbirds year round. I have a hard time getting her to stop. Oh, I've also shot a handful with my .22 caliber air rifle. I just got rid of the woodchuck and I'm trying to find time to properly block up the under portion of the coop as well as the outbuilding. I also moved my perpetual woodpile that was nearby and was home to them and the woodchucks. It's a lot of work.