Question about poisoning

[angie3881]

Our barn cat is getting old and I have noticed an increase in mice around the coop. I have also seen rats on our acerage, but not for 3 years. We had poison out before because we had no animals to worry about. My question is if I put more poison out, (secured so my free range flock cannot get to it) since my chickens and peafowl eat everything in sight could they be harmed by eating a poisoned varmint who has randomely died somewhere within their reach?

 

[CMV]

Yes they could. I think it might be time to get another cat. Trapping is also an option- snap traps, bucket traps, electric traps. multi-catch traps are all traps I have used with success over the years.

There is a way to use poison that is considered safe. I think there is a type of fast acting poison and a way to secure it to ensure that the poison can't be carried off and the rodent dies in situ. I am not familiar with that though. Maybe someone will chime in with more info on that.

Good luck.

 

[angie3881]

Thanks for responding. I really am not having major issues with it at all... but was going to put some poison in the barn when I thought-- if a mouse eats it and dies, keels over where the chickens can get to it and they WILL eat it, I assume the poison will be passed on to their system. Not good.

 

[War Chicken]

Secondary poisoning is definitely an issue as I don't think there are rodenticides in common use that are rendered harmless when metabolized.

I'd try limited their access to food and water first and then setting up Rat Zappers, Tincats, as well as regular snaptraps before resorting to poison.

 

[gallusdomesticus]

If you google a search on bromethelin (which is sold as a one bite rodent poison), you'll find out that a number of studies have been done on secondary poisoning issues involving raptors eating dead mice or rats. The rodent dies so quickly, it doesn't have time to build up a deposit of lethal poison in its organs that could damage a subsequent scavanger. If you use poison, you can put it in traps that chickens can't get to and if they do dine on the mice carcasses, they should be fine. It's a different case for poisons that are anti-coagulants. These have to be eaten by the rat for a period of time before they're effective and the chemicals build up in the rats system.

 

[angie3881]

I will check these out! Love your avatar, gallusdomesticus!!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

There is a certain poison that states other animals can eat them without secondary poisoning. That being said, would you feel okay eating the meat or eggs from a chicken who has eaten a critter that died from poison? I sure wouldn't. I use a bucket trap to catch pesky rodents. Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full with water, then cover the surface of the water with sunflower seeds so it looks like its full of seeds. Provide the nasty little critters with an access ramp (I lean a board against the side of the bucket). They jump in for the seed, and can't get back out and drown. I put the trap up just after I close the chickens in for the night, and remove it before I let them out in the morning. Chickens like sunflower seeds too. I guess if you wanted you could feed them to your chickens, but I just burn them. I keep resetting the trap every night until I don't catch mice in it anymore. Or- you could just get another cat. Good luck....

 

[angie3881]

That's a great idea! Thanks!

 

[desertdarlene]

I would be careful with poison even if it's used against animals inside the home that might go outside. There was someone here who used poison mouse bait in his house, but one of his outside ducks died all of a sudden. He suspected she ate a poisoned mouse from inside the house. Plus, chickens may peck at anything that is granular, too.