Rat Proofing and Chicken Door!

[cmom]

I can second this... the rats eat during the day! Brazen!! Ive been cutting off their night time food supply and today I saw an extra large rat scare off my bantam hens in order to feed in broad daylight. I’m thinking now that I will have to take things to the next level!

 

[cmom]

It's an older thread, but I'll add that many cats won't take on adult rats. my barn cats always left them for me! Poison in bait stations is the only way, sadly.
Mary

I agree. I tried many other ways but poison worked best for me. I'll have to take a picture on my setup which is completely safe. I use Rat Bait Stations and put them in a cage or pet carrier and put the cage/pet carriers on a shelf so nothing but the rats can get to them in our barn which is behind the coops, rats are good climbers. I found tunnels around the coops and the barn that I'm sure were dug by the rats and didn't find any dead rats laying around so I suspect they went into their tunnels and died. They buried themselves so that is why I haven't found any dead ones but the baits haven't been chewed on for awhile. There is a little window above the bait in the bait stations so I can check the baits regularly. I'm pretty sure these were made by the rats.

 

[Carson213]

It's an older thread, but I'll add that many cats won't take on adult rats. my barn cats always left them for me! Poison in bait stations is the only way, sadly.
Mary

my cats take on rats but they work like a team...usually two of the three cats working together and they hit the prey from one side then the other. it’s the closest i get to see lions hunting on the serengeti

 

[Carson213]

my cats take on rats but they work like a team...usually two of the three cats working together and they hit the prey from one side then the other. it’s the closest i get to see lions hunting on the serengeti

they make rat traps that catch multiple rats...one after another...then you can just dump in a barrel of water

 

[cmom]

I'm not advocating using poison but it worked for me when I had an infested coop. For me the bonus was the rats I believe went into their tunnels and died because I did not find any dead rats laying around so the buried themselves.