NY chicken lover!!!!

[boskelli1571]

I have too many other animals to even think about poison!!! Way too dangerous! I've been setting a rat trap, and did have them all cleared out. A new one moved in recently. They have been problematic for the past 3 decades here, and plague all the houses in the area. Before I moved in to keep an eye on my mother, and cleared the last batch out, she had ignored them and they chewed a hole through her refrigerator! I have been patching holes as I renovate her house, but this one in the garage is elusive, and knows what a trap is. I'm going to have to try a havahart on him next, since he may not have any experience with one. He is also below my power junction box in the wall, and has likely done some line chewing (lost power to half the garage), so I'm going to have to rip the Sheetrock off in that area to get at the nest and assess the damage. There are 7 cats here. Why none of them bother with the rats is one of the great mysteries of this age... I have never had problems with rats anywhere else, but according to other folks on the road, they have pretty much colonized the area. It's been a constant battle - I clean out the population and more arrive from the places that are less dedicated to removing them....

Rats are neophobes - they are suspicious of anything new. If you put down traps leave them in the same place for a while so that it becomes part of the scenery. Patience! you'll get 'em!

 

[rancher hicks]

I have too many other animals to even think about poison!!! Way too dangerous! I've been setting a rat trap, and did have them all cleared out. A new one moved in recently. They have been problematic for the past 3 decades here, and plague all the houses in the area. Before I moved in to keep an eye on my mother, and cleared the last batch out, she had ignored them and they chewed a hole through her refrigerator! I have been patching holes as I renovate her house, but this one in the garage is elusive, and knows what a trap is. I'm going to have to try a havahart on him next, since he may not have any experience with one. He is also below my power junction box in the wall, and has likely done some line chewing (lost power to half the garage), so I'm going to have to rip the Sheetrock off in that area to get at the nest and assess the damage. There are 7 cats here. Why none of them bother with the rats is one of the great mysteries of this age... I have never had problems with rats anywhere else, but according to other folks on the road, they have pretty much colonized the area. It's been a constant battle - I clean out the population and more arrive from the places that are less dedicated to removing them....

I have a mice problem. Traps let me know I got 'em. For some time I've gotten none and then of course the weasel had one. I expect since I got the weasel I'll be setting traps again.

I like these types. Easy to set and empty. Though the mice can carry them off.

I'd screw it to a board if you get the rat size. It did no good for the squirrels. The metal traps catch them sometimes but not often enough. The black one here got carried off by the squirrel. Last I saw it it was going up a tree.

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

I have a mice problem. Traps let me know I got 'em.  For some time I've gotten none and then of course the weasel had one. I expect since I got the weasel I'll be setting traps again. 

I like these types. Easy to set and empty. Though the mice can carry them off. 

I'd screw it to a board if you get the rat size.   It did no good for the squirrels.  The metal traps catch them sometimes but not often enough. The black one here got carried off by the squirrel. Last I saw it it was going up a tree.  

Those are way cool traps! They look much less likely to practically take off a finger if you don't set them just right!!! They look much more user friendly!!!
I use those big, old school spring loaded traps. You can hear the rat sized ones trip off halfway through the house!!!

 

[rancher hicks]

Those are way cool traps! They look much less likely to practically take off a finger if you don't set them just right!!! They look much more user friendly!!!
I use those big, old school spring loaded traps. You can hear the rat sized ones trip off halfway through the house!!!

Well now I do use the old school types too. Just to be on the safe side. I once caught two mice at the same time.

Plus some mice wear armor so you need a heavy duty trap.

 

[Purpletie3]

I have too many other animals to even think about poison!!! Way too dangerous! I've been setting a rat trap, and did have them all cleared out. A new one moved in recently. They have been problematic for the past 3 decades here, and plague all the houses in the area. Before I moved in to keep an eye on my mother, and cleared the last batch out, she had ignored them and they chewed a hole through her refrigerator! I have been patching holes as I renovate her house, but this one in the garage is elusive, and knows what a trap is. I'm going to have to try a havahart on him next, since he may not have any experience with one. He is also below my power junction box in the wall, and has likely done some line chewing (lost power to half the garage), so I'm going to have to rip the Sheetrock off in that area to get at the nest and assess the damage. There are 7 cats here. Why none of them bother with the rats is one of the great mysteries of this age... I have never had problems with rats anywhere else, but according to other folks on the road, they have pretty much colonized the area. It's been a constant battle - I clean out the population and more arrive from the places that are less dedicated to removing them....

I was so against poison too and I don't blame you one bit with your animals. I went 3 years setting traps but those animals have lived here for a long time. Proof in every wall I ripped open during my renovation. Disgusting. I didn't have the farm animals then to worry about. Our traps did well when we first put them down. Unfortunately, they were getting a few rats downstairs and mice in the living areas. So, I decided it was either an exterminator or get aggressive on the block poison for the basement area only and we watched it every day. Got some huge rats. I feel confident that no rat will sneak into my brooder and eat my babies now.

 

[rancher hicks]

Hello everyone been busy with work, the store and getting things ready for Chickenstock, I posted an updated list of the chicks with prices I will have available or that need to be preordered on the 2015 Chickenstock thread . I hope everyone is planning on coming to chickenstock it should be a lot of fun

I am hoping the snow actually disappears before the end of May someone needs to give old man winter some sleeping pills.

I have had some new littles over the last week we had a new ram lamb born who we have named Jeep his daddy is named Dodge.


I also have gotten a Great Pyrenees Live Stock Gaurdian Dog who I have named Meridith she is a little beauty can't wait to get her home in a couple of weeks

She's very nice.

Did I mention the boxer who came to visit yesterday? Scared Delores and her gang but didn't go after them. Not sure it won't but chased it off.

 

[rancher hicks]

I was so against poison too and I don't blame you one bit with your animals. I went 3 years setting traps but those animals have lived here for a long time. Proof in every wall I ripped open during my renovation. Disgusting. I didn't have the farm animals then to worry about. Our traps did well when we first put them down. Unfortunately, they were getting a few rats downstairs and mice in the living areas. So, I decided it was either an exterminator or get aggressive on the block poison for the basement area only and we watched it every day. Got some huge rats. I feel confident that no rat will sneak into my brooder and eat my babies now.

We had a mouse get in the wall at our old house and die. What a stink. Had to open things up to get it out.

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

Well now I do use the old school types too. Just to be on the safe side. I once caught two mice at the same time. 

Plus some mice wear armor so you need a heavy duty trap. 

 

[Purpletie3]

Oh- the part that pushed me to the poison was I heard something one night an wandered down the hall and a oppossum sized animal ran out of my step-daughters room. She'd had her Easter Candy up there...against our instruction.

 

[rancher hicks]

Oh- the part that pushed me to the poison was I heard something one night an wandered down the hall and a oppossum sized animal ran out of my step-daughters room. She'd had her Easter Candy up there...against our instruction.

At time for everything as the good book says.

For vermin, it's a time to DIE! And I don't care how they do it!