rat problem. warning talking about killing many rodents.

[renart]

Quote:
We have had Northern wood rats in the past. We have 4 cats whom live outside, we feed these cats, they bring us fresh kills daily. Rats are no longer, but, voles and mice are the game now.

Our feed used to be kept in the barns, now we keep them in airtight plastic containers - http://www.usphome.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=75334&catid=1061

seems that the rodents cannot smell the feed, so they don't bother coming round.

We also had issues with small branch filled Alder trees close to the barns (for shade), these rodents use them as avenues into the barns that are not accessible to the cats.


food for thought.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

What about a good dog? I have a friend who ownes a farm and his dauchsen is murder on rats! He goes through the hay bales in the barn all day long and just kills every one he finds. He patrols the barn ruthlessly all day every day. Another friend who has a horse farm has jack russells that are also killing machines. The first time her male went after a rat he didnt know quite what to do with it. It bit him and that was it. He got mad and lets just say there wasnt much left! They cant wait to get to the barn to do a little hunting every day! Just a thought, given what you are up against.

 

[greenriver]

Peanut butter is good bait

 

[Judy]

I had a Jack Russel and Lab team who would actively hunt and kill rats, each digging two different holes toward each other; they got pretty good at choosing which two holes to dig.

I know you said no poison, but if the infestation is that bad, I'm afraid I'd use bromadiolone (Just One Bite) at least for a while to get it under control. Advertised as harmless ot animals eating the dead rat, and never harmed the dogs and cats I had when I used two or three packages of it. Between the dogs and the bromadiolone I don't see rat sign any more.

I'd also start buying galvanized trash cans for feed, to at least reduce the amount of feed they can get at. I suppose there are rat proof plastic containers out there, but I've seen rats go through some pretty hefty ones.

 

[Tap Dancing Chickie]

I am headed out right now to buy beer and new batteries for my flashlight, I am going for #5 on your list. WISH ME LUCK

 

[Grim]

all good suggestions. as for the loss in terms of feed. surprisingly enough i don't seem to be loosing massive amounts. even with the daily numbers. i have 42 acres which i've owned for 3 years inherited from my grand father and purchased from my dad, uncle, and sister keeping the family land.I am the only one not to have moved away at the time. the barn is on the back side of my property set back into a stand of second growth oaks, about 150 years old, and a few other assorted hardwoods, i've yet to have anything but a bumper crop of acorns. food for them that i can't secure, but i refuse to cut my shade trees. this is backed by the timber company's property, which at the moment is 2 year replants and brush the clear cut. 2 years ago was the second time i've seen that track clear cut. barn itself is around 60 years old i have no way to keep them out. i'm just the latest family owner. and 40 a day seems about right, most of them being young rats. the rats seem to have been declining slowly up until about 2 years ago, when they started to increase. probably because most of the forrest rats were driven into my barn. before this the company land was burned off about every 2 years. now the trees are too small for the hunters that use the land to burn it. so i get 300 acres of rodent breeding ground 50 yards from my feed. i think they are moving in as well as breeding as fast as i can kill them off. doesn't help either that the same animals that eat rats also tend to eat eggs or chickens. most of these don't survive long. i try to relocate those i catch in my live traps, if i don't have dead chickens, but it doesn't help with the problem of the rats that they go unchecked naturally. my cats being the only contributors. last vet visit they weighed between 13 to 15 lbs each, for shots.

what would you suggest as alternative to tossing the rats out the door? i don't have an incinerator. i'm afraid it will make my hogs or my family sick if i fed them to the hogs. i'm not being sarcastic, i really am at a loss as to what else to do with them?

as for the dogs, never really considered it. smallest dog i have ever owned was a bluetick hound. i might have to try that.

 

[dewey]

Maybe check into bagging and burying or disposing of them along with other refuse if allowed.

 

[ourflockof4]

Wow, that really sucks. What part of the world of you in? That may help us with some ideas.

I would think that the first step would be to eliminate there food as much as possible. Keep all of your feed in metal containers that you can close tight, metal trash cans, old freezers or frig, or whatever. Pick up the acorns as soon as they drop and put them in a metal container until you can feed them to your animals. If you are not already doing it feed your animals only as much as they eat in a couple min so you don't have any feed sitting in there feeders. You said you don't lose much feed, but you may be suprised.

What I would do to dispose of the dead is the get a metal 55 gal barrel with a clamp on lid. Place it a safe distance from your barn but close enough for easy access. Put some kindling, scrap wood, twigs, or whatever in the bottom of the barrel. Every morning throw your dead rats in there and then clamp the lid back on. Once a week burn the content of the barrel and start over.

Do something to introduce more predators for them. Whether it be more cats, small dogs, or something else. Ever if you have to do something to make your chickens more secure housing.

Do whatever you can to eliminate living places in your barn, I realize that that may be hard, but it may pay dividends in the future.

Good luck, and thanks for the good ideas

 

[patman75]

I recall somewhere that high dollar hog/pork are feed acrons. Sounds like free feed for you. Rake those acorns up and give them to the pigs, less feed for the rats.

 

[ellieroo]

If you have a barn owl count your blessings !! If he gets a mate

bow done to the gods and realize just how many rats will go into those little beaks!