Rat Poison

[NEChickenNoob]

Don't use poison for rats and mice. It's not only unsafe for your chickens, but becomes unsafe for any predators and scavengers (including household pets). Use the 5 gallon bucket mouse trap. Easy DIY instructions online free. Just google it. I have personally used it and have killed many more than with snap traps, poison and glue boards. Plus there is no danger to pets and predators.

 

[Eggcessive]

These types of bait stations make it much more chicken safe to use with bait products such as Just One Bite that can be placed on a locked wire inside a locked station, and not out where chickens can get to it. The fist one can be easily made with PVC pipe and a coat hanger.

 

[Charmainehowden]

Just an update for people , my chickens are still looking healthey and well it's the 7th day today

I haven't used poisons for the rats since !
I'm going to buy a safer bait station x

 

[enola]

I have read where lots of rat poison has stychnine.Strychnine will not kill birds that are born with eyes open,such as chickens.I hear old timers say that owls will catch chickens and let them season before eating them.the old timers say when you have hens killed by owls you look near by, find the dead hen and rub the meat with strychnine and it will kill the owls.They say owls have to peck their young out of the shell for they hatch with their eyes closed.

I am aware this is an old post, I just think anyone reading the post now might like to think about this tidbit of information!

Lots of wisdom from 'old timers' is absolutely priceless......

Some of their 'beliefs' are absolutely not priceless.......

I am pretty sure strychnine will pretty much kill anything that eats it. Regardless what kind of eyes they hatch with........

 

[Zalf]

If the rat poison is the blood thinning type then the chickens will take about 5 -14 days before they die. When my dogs or cat have eaten rat bait, my vet prescribes Vitamin K for helping the blood to clot. I have to keep on giving it for two weeks.

 

[fiddleblue]

I put out rat poison down inside some rat tunnels, under the ground, then covered up the tunnel entrances with large stones. I thought that would do the trick to keep the poison underground and away from areas where chickens might roam and come across it. Unfortunately I think something went wrong with this theory, because I found a dead chicken yesterday. I'm assuming it ate rat poison -- cannot think of another reason why it might have passed on. I'm kicking myself for doing something that inadvertently harmed my gorgeous gal.

I've tried the 5 gallon bucket trap but it didn't work at all. The rats got the bait without getting caught in the trap. I've actually tried every type of trap and nothing has worked but rat poison. Live traps, glue traps, snap traps, 5 gallon traps -- none have worked. I did catch one rat in a live trap long ago -- but only one. AFter that, the other rats must have quickly learned not to go in there because I could never catch another.

I think I need to build a rat poision feeding station like the black plastic ones depicted here.

 

[bobbi-j]

I put out rat poison down inside some rat tunnels, under the ground, then covered up the tunnel entrances with large stones. I thought that would do the trick to keep the poison underground and away from areas where chickens might roam and come across it. Unfortunately I think something went wrong with this theory, because I found a dead chicken yesterday. I'm assuming it ate rat poison -- cannot think of another reason why it might have passed on. I'm kicking myself for doing something that inadvertently harmed my gorgeous gal.

I've tried the 5 gallon bucket trap but it didn't work at all. The rats got the bait without getting caught in the trap. I've actually tried every type of trap and nothing has worked but rat poison. Live traps, glue traps, snap traps, 5 gallon traps -- none have worked. I did catch one rat in a live trap long ago -- but only one. AFter that, the other rats must have quickly learned not to go in there because I could never catch another.

I think I need to build a rat poision feeding station like the black plastic ones depicted here.

Don't kick yourself too hard. Sometimes chickens just up and die for no obvious reason. If you don't see any poison laying around, I think you are safe in thinking she didn't eat any.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I put out rat poison down inside some rat tunnels, under the ground, then covered up the tunnel entrances with large stones.  I thought that would do the trick to keep the poison underground and away from areas where chickens might roam and come across it.  Unfortunately I think something went wrong with this theory, because I found a dead chicken yesterday.  I'm assuming it ate rat poison -- cannot think of another reason why it might have passed on.  I'm kicking myself for doing something that inadvertently harmed my gorgeous gal.  

I've tried the 5 gallon bucket trap but it didn't work at all.  The rats got the bait without getting caught in the trap.  I've actually tried every type of trap and nothing has worked but rat poison.  Live traps, glue traps, snap traps, 5 gallon traps -- none have worked.  I did catch one rat in a live trap long ago -- but only one.  AFter that, the other rats must have quickly learned not to go in there because I could never catch another.  

I think I need to build a rat poision feeding station like the black plastic ones depicted here.  

Poison does not kill instantly,if the rat mouse dies above ground chickens may eat it. Yes chickens will catch and eat rodents.
My chickens Chase chipmunks and squirrels that get into their pen,though I haven't seen them catch one. GC