Rat Problem

[Al Gerhart]

Ratproof feeders start at $65.00 for the small ones, there is a guillotine style like the Grandpa feeder that is $39.00, galvanized steel, not aluminum like the Chinese ones that are available. Rats can chew through aluminum but in those things the rats just lifted the lid and ate their fill.

You can poison, trap, flood and block the tunnels, and when you have them all killed out or if you kill them all is more likely, a new population will come right in behind them.

One thing works, control the feed with a treadle feeder and you are done with rodents and wild birds. A long term solution, plus you save enough money stopping feed theft and waste to pay for the feeder within a year or less.

Be sure your bulk feed is in a metal barrel of some type and clear up as much debris as possible so the rodents have no place to hide. Rodents tend to have their burrows or dens within a few dozen yards of their food source so the predators don't get them traveling back and forth. Clean up anything that provides cover and concealment.

 

[Weeg]

Ratproof feeders start at $65.00 for the small ones, there is a guillotine style like the Grandpa feeder that is $39.00, galvanized steel, not aluminum like the Chinese ones that are available. Rats can chew through aluminum but in those things the rats just lifted the lid and ate their fill.

Ya, you need to make sure it is made of steel, and has a locking lid. The Grandpas feeder has a hole, and a screw that clicks into the hole when you put it in. You you have to pul outward to unlock it.

 

[Al Gerhart]

That is needed on the Grandpa feeder because rats and mice can lift the lid at night and eat the feed. A very poor design, the lid is balanced by the rube goldberg treadle linkage to prevent decapitation of the birds so just a few ounces of pressure can lift the lid. Why would someone invest $134.00 for their small feeder when you have to go out in the morning and unlock the lid and lock it up again at night?

There was a time when the Grandpa feeder was all there was and they were getting nearly $200 for their small feeder plus shipping back around 2011. Competition fixed that, they are down to $134.00 but that is still double the price of a better feeder that is actually rat proof. They are indeed the buggy whip makers of the chicken feeder market.

 

[Weeg]

That is needed on the Grandpa feeder because rats and mice can lift the lid at night and eat the feed. A very poor design, the lid is balanced by the rube goldberg treadle linkage to prevent decapitation of the birds so just a few ounces of pressure can lift the lid. Why would someone invest $134.00 for their small feeder when you have to go out in the morning and unlock the lid and lock it up again at night?

There was a time when the Grandpa feeder was all there was and they were getting nearly $200 for their small feeder plus shipping back around 2011. Competition fixed that, they are down to $134.00 but that is still double the price of a better feeder that is actually rat proof. They are indeed the buggy whip makers of the chicken feeder market.

Yo don't have to unlock the lid and relock it, it stays latched in, because the screw, stays in the hole. I know it is definlty on the expensive side, But a VERY informative article said ti was the only one that worked for them, so I didn't do much more research, just bought it.

 

[cmom]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe chicken lice and mites are species specific and wouldn't transfer from rats to chickens.

You are correct.

 

[SerrarGett]

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!

Don't use poison! Your chickens will eat the rats if given the chance. I'd suggest a cat, but I don't have a lot of experience with pests.

 

[Weeg]

Don't use poison! Your chickens will eat the rats if given the chance. I'd suggest a cat, but I don't have a lot of experience with pests.

I you look back, she does say that a cat isn't an option, but, I totally agree with the NO POISION thing. For other reason too, then just the chickens eating the poisoned rat. Good advice!

 

[Al Gerhart]

Yo don't have to unlock the lid and relock it, it stays latched in, because the screw, stays in the hole. I know it is definlty on the expensive side, But a VERY informative article said ti was the only one that worked for them, so I didn't do much more research, just bought it.

Nearly all of those articles have a link to Amazon or to the manufacture and someone is earning a hefty affiliate fee for their "advice". So the advice is generally skewed toward selling a product that is willing to pay for the mention through affiliate sales.

There was a time when the Grandpa feeder was all their was and at that time it was the best feeder. Those times are long gone, check out the independent review sites or just read the negative reviews on the feeders including the Grandpa feeders. Those negative reviews are the folks that actually had a rodent or wild bird problem and you find out quickly how poor of a design it is. Any product with a negative review rate of more than say 5% is a horrible product. Now if they want to market it as a chicken feeder only, that would be honest. But to market it as rodent proof when the negative review say otherwise...

 

[chicken3fly]

https://www.bing.com/search?q=what+...42bfd61088eb812aa8&FORM=ANNTA1&DAF0=1&PC=U531

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Thanks everyone! I'll update later.