Rat Problem

[Angelique123456]

Advice please?

My chicken run is invaded with rats. I shot one with my pellet gun ( and I'm almost 100% sure it died ) and trapped one with my old rat trap ( 100% dead, sorry no pics) There are a lot of rat holes and stuff where they are happily eating left over chicken food in my run EVERY NIGHT. The security like I have (which I originally put up to alert me when a raccoon came) comes on like....20 times per night! I'm looking for advice, not a fight on different traps that people use, etc. Your ideas are welcome, but please NO arguing!

 

[Angelique123456]

please read it! https://backyardchickenproject.com/how-to-get-rid-of-rats-in-the-chicken-coop-the-definitive-guide/
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Read it it was good I did that and no more rats but they still like to live around the coop for some reason. One year in the spring I was cleaning out the coop and I saw they made tunnels under the poop . Nasty little things. Another year I went to close the door late one night and I saw them jumping from the chicken rack to the food bin. I have a chicken rack so the birds sleep on it at night. They like to sleep high on it. And the smart mice jumped from the rack to the food bin that I have hanging so they don’t get to it. Would you believe it. La fet joly... lol

 

[Weeg]

Read it it was good I did that and no more rats but they still like to love around the coop for some reason. One year in the spring I was cleaning out the coop and I saw they made tunnels under the poop . Nasty little things. Another year I went to close the door late one night and I saw them jumping from the chicken rack to the food bin. I have a chicken rack so the birds sleep on it at night. They like to sleep high on it. And the smart mice jumped from the rack to the food bin that I have hanging so they don’t get to it. Would you believe it. La fet joly... lol

I bet they hang around the coop, because they are still eating the food. You need to rat proof your feeder, so they leave.

 

[MrsPeterTHooper]

We had a giant rat problem. Here's what we did:
1) We found out where they lived (the majority anyway) and we made that space less livable or accessible. They were under our concrete porch--we dug down 2 feet deep and put in 1/4 steel hardware cloth. They were under our Bush--we dug it up.
2) We began bringing our chicken food in during the afternoon. Our chickens would spill a fair amount on the ground in the morning and we let them use the rest of the afternoon and the evening to clean it up which reduced the rats getting to it. We also sometimes fed them by hand when they were out of their pen in a different spot everyday, so the rats didn't have a consistent spot to find food.
3) We brought their water in when we shut them in for the night. Rats go for the chickens' water when they are thirsty, and especially after they've been poisoned (we didn't use poison but our neighbors did). Taking it in at night kept the rats from using it. For nighttime, we put a small one inside the coop (which was off the ground and used hardware cloth in openings) and I don't think we ever had a rat in there.
4) We designed our coop so it is off the ground so the rats can't make a home underneath and maybe won't chew their way into (we've had good luck so far).
5) We did trap and relocate some, but we aren't really sure how effective that was. The other measures were more effective.

I hope this helps some!

 

[MrsPeterTHooper]

As long as the pipe feeders are make of steel pipes and steel caps, they can't be chewed through. Locking food and water up is a good idea, as long as you are putting it in a steel or glass container, it should be fine!

Mine are plastic. Our rats never tried to chew through them. They just went for what was already on the ground.

 

[Angelique123456]

I bet they hang around the coop, because they are still eating the food. You need to rat proof your feeder, so they leave.

How I have it hanging

 

[writerskramp]

Cat is a good choice.. mine met an unfortunet accident.. Didn't know she was crossing the busy road.. I have woods and acerage.. Presumtion is the mother of all... After she was gone. Chipmunks raided the chicken coop.. eating a full 50% of the eggs daily.. The fatest chipmunk you ever saw.. .22 and luck.. Have an issue with them digging under my foundation.. If they stay in the woodpile.. I have no issue. even a couple traps, never set. A gardenhose down the hole too milk gallon filled with water turned upside down in their hole.. They'll run right inside.. glub glub.. Rats must be an issue I have never dealt with.. Coons around but dogs keep them at bay.. Had an eagle perch on top the coop, but net kept him out.. It's a matter of perseverance, if you persevere.. you win. If they do. You don't.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

No rats today. I'll come back later and read all of your posts!

 

[Weeg]

How I have it hanging

Doesn't matter, they can jump 8 feet in the air and will eat the feed right out of the feeder after they jump to it. You need a steel treadle feeder or you need o bring the food inside at night.

 

[Weeg]

No rats today. I'll come back later and read all of your posts!

That is great! I am so glad they seem to be disappearing!