RAT WAR!!

[GC-Raptor]

I need a new one. Mine got ruined from the sun. The shots are all white now. I miss that thing!

I've read that they should face north, the sun will destroy the image sensor. GC

 

[Birdinhand]

we had terrible rat problems on the farm I grew up on. We did have fun trying to shoot them. I would stand at the light switch while my father would tiptoe back to the hog area and give me a yelp when he was ready, I'd flip the switch and listen to the gun going off, it was rather exciting... but not all that effective. Our biggest issue was that the feed mows were open, so it was pretty much a smorgasbord for rats, 24/7. we did have barn owls that would help keep things in check.

the first thing I did when starting to plan for a chicken coop after starting a family on the west coast was look up all the ways to avoid rats and then ways to manage them. based on what I read here and other places I found that my first line of defense was galvanized hardware cloth. I searched around to find a good price on rolls of it, thickest gauge I could find. I enveloped my whole coop with it, two feet down into the ground and then when I expanded the coop, I went all the way under. i'm on my third year and only 1 rat has made it into the coop. there is a back ground population, but not the population explosion that causes the big problems.

my second line of defense is traditional style snap traps, lots of them. I have about 10 traps that I periodically bait but mostly leave around as snares. I try and predict based on any traces of dander or other signs of trails, where they run, focussing particularly on the long stretches out in the open. I read that this is where they run with less discrimination, worried about predators mostly and will run right over the triggers of the traps and get killed. this works pretty well.

the third line of defense is the food. the feeder is kept off the ground and the main bin is metal with a tight fitting lid. I feed pellets and not crumble, because my hens are quite messy with the crumble where as they seem to be good at cleaning up all the pellets from the ground.

my fourth line of defense is that I do not leave things around in big piles near the coop, like brush or other things rats like to nest in. my biggest source of rats is my neighbors shed, which is right up against my property line so that is I look for runs under the fence and focus the traps there.

I realize this approach isn't practical for everyone but it has allowed me to avoid the use of poison, which is becoming less and less effective anyway as resistance to the poison gets passed on genetically by the rats that survive it, just like pesticides in general.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

I got to clean out more underbrush for sure... just really behind this summer. Rat traps and rat bait is next on my to do... we baited the burrows today, and put ant Poison out... ants have been off the hook here prior to me having chickens due to drought and heat, the whole neighborhood is fighting the ant war now for years. I hate using poison but nothing is working and I suspect our whole nieighbor hood is on the biggest ant hill ever... we have all been trying different things but so far the neighborhood 0 vs the ants, the ants are winning.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I got to clean out more underbrush for sure... just really behind this summer. Rat traps and rat bait is next on my to do... we baited the burrows today, and put ant Poison out... ants have been off the hook here prior to me having chickens due to drought and heat, the whole neighborhood is fighting the ant war now for years. I hate using poison but nothing is working and I suspect our whole nieighbor hood is on the biggest ant hill ever... we have all been trying different things but so far the neighborhood 0 vs the ants, the ants are winning.

I have a problem with tiny ants in my coop. I've had luck using this, . I sprinkle some at the bottom of door sills and along all four sides of floor. Says controls Ants on the label. GC

 

[ronott1]

I have a problem with tiny ants in my coop. I've had luck using this,View attachment 1094354. I sprinkle some at the bottom of door sills and along all four sides of floor. Says controls Ants on the label. GC

Same stuff you dust chickens with to kill lice and mites. It used to say Vegetable and poultry dust

 

[cavemanrich]

Wish we could keep any snakes around here, the birds keep eating them (small water snakes) do you know if a rat snake can be imported to keep in a barn? And if it would die in the winter freeze? I grew up in the southwest US with gopher snakes around, but they don't live up here where I moved, and the only indigenous snakes are little tadpole eating water snakes. By the way, did you eat the rattlesnake?

You might want to visit Cambodia and bring some of these in your suitcase luggage.

BTW. can you guess what snakes taste like............. ????????
YES............. JUST LIKE CHICKEN..

 

[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.

There is still traces of feed from spillage even if we remove the dispensing pales. I like the luxury of having the feed ready for them as they awaking as well. So we leave the food out but suspended from the rafters. I am sure they can jump and reach them though.
Thanks for your contribution!

 

[Lazy Farmer]

We started a count on capture rats about 2 weeks ago. You know the 4 Bars and a slash = 5 method.
I don't want to publish the count because it is a lot.
And if that is only the live traps, how many did the bait traps get?
Our farm is not disgustingly dirty. We take pride in cleanliness and order. We just have a disgusting problem. And not being able to report it is under control, is annoying to say the least.
I want to take a second to thank all of you for contributing to this thread. Your opinions, experiences and suggestions are greatly appreciated. Just wanted show a little gratitude for you taking a moment out of your busy day to review this little endeavor we are experiencing.
fc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

A good thread for all. Thank you.

Also, great encouragement for those of us who are in the midst of battle as well.

It is a rat world out there.
LofMc

 

[Laurieks]

"My" rats won't touch the TSC bait they eat other kinds, and will sometimes go in the live trap with no bait. They are BAD this year!
It has been better since we hung the feeders higher and left them empty at night when possible, but our cats are older and I think our dog is friends with the vermin. We adopted a 17 year old cat, but it turns out she's too old to hunt.