RAT WAR!!

[Lazy Farmer]

Does it help to pick up the chicken feed at night and put it away? I am at my wit's end with the mice and rats.

My chickens lick the bowl clean so to speak. I raise pigs. A lot of adults and offspring. The offspring needs food at free will at every moment. Maximum growth with less time as possible. They are collecting 20% protein pellets from the baby gilts and barrows and stockpiling the feed under a concrete slab of our pole barn. Hubby sticks the right end of a 410 under there every few days and blows them to smithereens. They move to another burrow.

 

[Auntie Moose]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is a 410? Since my chickens have a continuous feeder, they have access all the time to feed. Do they eat enough in the morning to pull the feeder out later?

 

[cavemanrich]

410 is a small gauge shotgun. 12 gauge is a large common standard load. 10,8, and 4 are more specialty loads.

 

[Auntie Moose]

My son-in-law will never forgive me for not knowing that!

 

[cavemanrich]

My son-in-law will never forgive me for not knowing that!

Don't worry about that..
Now about the second part of your question.. Your chickens do like to eat before they go to roost. During the night they digest the feed and produce eggs inside. Just remove the feed after they roost for the night. I put mine into a metal garbage can, and pull it out in the morning when chickens are let out. This way I avoid feeding all nocturnal animals. (raccoons, opossums, as well as skunks)

 

[Auntie Moose]

I am totally beside myself now. We have had the yard/coop/run professionally taken care of for mice and/or rats. When he came out to check the traps (humane--don't get your dander up), the bait had not even been touched. Just now I was sitting in my living room and see one of the confounded rodents run across MY DECK! I am furious, distressed, and disgusted. The hens are okay for now, but I'm almost afraid to go to their coop because of all the mice! I've quit giving them treats except from my hand, put the feed up at night, and every other thing discussed here. I'm almost ready to give my hens away so I can get the infestation under control.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

I am totally beside myself now. We have had the yard/coop/run professionally taken care of for mice and/or rats. When he came out to check the traps (humane--don't get your dander up), the bait had not even been touched. Just now I was sitting in my living room and see one of the confounded rodents run across MY DECK! I am furious, distressed, and disgusted. The hens are okay for now, but I'm almost afraid to go to their coop because of all the mice! I've quit giving them treats except from my hand, put the feed up at night, and every other thing discussed here. I'm almost ready to give my hens away so I can get the infestation under control.

I think it's impossible to have a 100% clean yard no matter where you live...city or rural. (Unless you live on a deserted island that hasn't had rodents introduced )

I see bait stations for mice throughout our the closest city hospital. I've seen bait stations for RATS at the biggest city in this province (and in a very clean open area of the city...mostly pavement) and at many of the business centers around. I think rodents are a part of life whether we like it or not...managing the issue is a life long situation. Where ever there is food, seeds, garbage, vegetation shelter...rodents are going to be there.

I think we just have to mitigate the risks...and you sound like you're doing a good job.

 

[Hillbilly rob]

Rain and Rats go Hand & Hand!
They move indoors to seek shelter. Or Barn full of feed provides safe harbor and unlimited sources of nutrition for their colony and off spring.
I refuse to provide a disease carrying rodent share my farm destroying everything from boxes to electrical wires and contamination of feed for our many animals we care for.
View media item 7893523These little Satan offsprings are my main focus at the moment.
This big female was live trapped last night in my barn right next to the chicken feed cans.
View media item 7893525We are switching to metal cans because they are slowly knarling Thru the Rubbermaid cans.
View media item 7893524This one is a female. I call them the "Rat Factory Queen's".
One female can make so many Satan babies.
Usually just catch big males. Females usually stay in the nests and wait for delivery of dinner.
View media item 7893527This is a photo of a homemade Rat Bait House.
We have several around the farm. This one had all the bait ate and gone. Took the photo to share an inexpensive solution to pest control.
View media item 7893532Drilled a hole in the side of the bucket bottom.
Wedged a strip of wood inside of the housing. I screw down lightly a couple of TOM CAT BRAND RAT BAIT BLOCKS sold at TSC in a economy size pail. The bait has a hole already in it. 2 screws, 2 washers and seal the top of the bucket with the lid. Keep them away from areas with small chickens.
This bucket had the bait placed in it only 3 days ago. They ate it already.
The rats dehydrate from the bait forcing then to leave to find water somewhere else.
View media item 7893528I will win the battle as long as I don't give up.
Rats beware! Farmer Connie don' t play that!​

I to had a rat problem and I tried to shoot them but wasen't getting anywhere than I bought the tom cat bait station with the bait blocks they can't resist them it took a while but I stuck with it and slowly got rid of the rat problem I still have the bait station and check it once a month.

 

[Alicialuvspets]

Rats are smart. Hide the bait house where you can't see it. If they eat it all up, place a new one in a new location. They are savoy. I have to put my live traps in a new spot after every catch. So far about 15 rats caught alive. Once, two at a time..
I loathe rodents.

 

[Alicialuvspets]

What kind of live trap r u using? We have some we bought for squarrls but the rat can escape by flatten it's body and squeezing out.