In reply to the threads about rat poison in the chickens area, I use an almost foolproof method to secure rat poison from the birds. I have never poisoned a chicken using this method. Wish I could supply illustration but it is pretty simple to explain and construction is simple.
Supplies are about 3 feet of PVC pipe, a T and a cap, All of the same diameter. I use 1 1/2 inch PVC. Big enough for even the largest rats to get inside but too small for any of your birds except maybe chicks.. Cut the PVC pipe into 3 equal pieces, in my case they are all 1 foot long. I will cut 1 piece square ended for the vertical piece. The remaining 2 foot piece I cut @ the 1 foot mark but will cut it on a 45 degree angle. These are the horizontal pieces. The long part of the 45 will be to the top which helps keep rain out of the feeding chamber.. Assemble without glue which allows you to disassemble for storage if you don't need it for a while. Using a product which comes in block form, I use Tomcat, fill the vertical section with poison and put the cap on this piece lightly (easier to get it off for re-fills) to keep rain out. As the rats eat the poison, the ones above in the vertical chamber will slide down keeping the feeding chamber filled.
I have 3 of these scattered around my property which have helped tremendously controlling these vermin. Good luck and hope this helps.
Supplies are about 3 feet of PVC pipe, a T and a cap, All of the same diameter. I use 1 1/2 inch PVC. Big enough for even the largest rats to get inside but too small for any of your birds except maybe chicks.. Cut the PVC pipe into 3 equal pieces, in my case they are all 1 foot long. I will cut 1 piece square ended for the vertical piece. The remaining 2 foot piece I cut @ the 1 foot mark but will cut it on a 45 degree angle. These are the horizontal pieces. The long part of the 45 will be to the top which helps keep rain out of the feeding chamber.. Assemble without glue which allows you to disassemble for storage if you don't need it for a while. Using a product which comes in block form, I use Tomcat, fill the vertical section with poison and put the cap on this piece lightly (easier to get it off for re-fills) to keep rain out. As the rats eat the poison, the ones above in the vertical chamber will slide down keeping the feeding chamber filled.
I have 3 of these scattered around my property which have helped tremendously controlling these vermin. Good luck and hope this helps.