Quail Hutch Re-Vamp

[wbruder17]

So, the stinkin rats got in! They didn't harm the birds, but I am in the middle of a complete re-do of my quail setup. I reinforced the bottom with hardware cloth instead of aviary wire and screwed it in with pieces of metal on the perimeter. Piled large rocks, then will be filling in with gravel so the rats can't tunnel under, as I want the hutch to be on the ground,like it was before, filled with dirt and gravel for a more "natural" feel.

Tomorrow I will be reinforcing the bottom of the hutch, hopefully with more metal, if I can find it, as the rats chewed through the wood and around the hardware cloth to get in.

Boy, rats are smart little guys. I'm gonna win this battle tho.

 

[La Mike]

Rats can tunnel through gravel and around rocks too. The hardware cloth is great. Too stop them from chewing the wood to get in get you a spray bottle. Fill it with a mixture of 5 tablespoons of cayenne powder to a pint or so of water and spray all the exposed wood 1-2 times a week and that will stop. Wont hurt birds but is one heckuva deterent for rats and mice.

 

[wbruder17]

We are making a large mound and pounding it down to make it like concrete. The rocks range from very large, to river rock, then gravel to fill in the small gaps. They should not be able to get through, but we will see. Hopefully it will be deterrent, at the least, combined with the hardware cloth and metal barrier.... but I will spray the perimeter for added security. Thanks!

 

[rittert3]

For a concrete like surface I would suggest lye covered with top soil after it sets up. Man I need a 25lb bag of cayanne (101 uses in poultry keeping (I'm finding)) I spiked my new Banty hens' scratch with it this morning to try to jump start their laying.

 

[bfrancis]

Lye is good for side walks and concrete prep..open lye on the ground that will be used for birds is bad.

"Solid sodium hydroxide or solutions containing high concentrations of sodium hydroxide may cause chemical burns, permanent injury or scarring, and blindness. Lye may be harmful or fatal if swallowed.
Solvation of sodium hydroxide is highly exothermic, and the resulting heat may cause heat burns or ignite flammables."

Just because smarter people than me said this more professionally than I would have, this quote was copy pasted from google titled "Lye"

Wbruder17, Good luck with your rat problem! Sounds like you are on the right track!

 

[rittert3]

I just know we used it at a feed lot I worked at mixed with fine gravel and it set up like concrete after some weather exposure. I'm not arguing that it's probably not good for birds which is why I suggested covering it with top soil. Trenching and setting your wire in quickcrete would be another option if you wanted to get that involved with it.

 

[Fat Daddy]

For a concrete like surface I would suggest lye covered with top soil after it sets up. Man I need a 25lb bag of cayanne (101 uses in poultry keeping (I'm finding)) I spiked my new Banty hens' scratch with it this morning to try to jump start their laying.

I would bet your think'n "lime" and not "lye"... Lime dust when mixed with gravel is AB-3. A base used for nearly all building or road, parking lot, ect... Lime is also used in barns and feed lots to help break down all things organic... Lye is corrosive.. Bill

 

[rittert3]

Probably, that sounds right, thanks for the correction, Bill.