Rat help

[aprophet]

Snap trap work best for me. I tried live trap and home made bucket trap without any success.

the secret to the bucket trap for me is to sink it down a little and do not cut the cardboard until the rodents are eating the bait and to speed things up I find mouse/rat turds and put a few around the top of the trap

 

[mommanine]

I was worried with the snap traps that I'd end up catching a chicken. Has this been a problem, or how do you avoid it? I guess there are a couple of places that I could possibly hide the trap that the chickens couldn't reach. I haven't had any success yet with the baited traps I set out a couple of nights ago.

 

[frstchknz]

I also have a rat in my chicken coop. I saw it last Friday and am still working on "evacuating" it. My rat seems to be someones pet. It's almost tame and will walk right out in the pen like it's part of the family. The chickens were afraid of it at first but by the end of the day they were all eating together!! but.... it's still a RAT. I won't use any kind of poison on my property. I don't trust any of it with any of the other animals that are here. I set a snap trap but he just pops it and eats the peanut butter (he loves peanut butter). I have the building secure enough that he can't get inside, he can only get under the building and was getting into the coop from there. Then he would simply walk up the ramp with the chickens to the inside. I have the foundation of the building secure now and haven't seen him in two days. The dogs still bark at the stones, so I think he's still there. I think the best way to catch a rat is a live trap and then dispose of it from there. I feel it's the safest way for all concerned. I don't have one right now but will find one this weekend I hope! last weekend I was at Lowe's a couple times getting more wire.. and bigger traps.. LOL.. I feel like Bill Murray in Caddyshack!!
good luck with your rat. I hope you get him!