rats and lots of them and I need to kill them!

[Mac in Wisco]

We had hundreds of them in our small layer barn last year. I went to great lengths to seal up any holes in the foundation with hydraulic cement, framed out some door openings where they were getting inside the walls, and put in some new, tight fitting doors. In between flocks, I took up all of the feed and baited heavily with D-Con, pounds and pounds of it it in large pans. They scarfed it down for several days. I would go outside each morning and pick up dead rats all over the place for about a week. I probably picked up 50 carcasses, and those were just the ones that I saw.

We have been rat free in the barn since last summer. I walk in at night and see a few mice running around, but no rats. The mice are a good sign, as that tells me that the rats are gone.

 

[newbiechickenowner]

So...you said in between flocks...did you get rid of your whole flock? so you wouldn't know if there was a salmonella problem either?

What are the different poisons that can be used outside, which is an open field next to the whole compound, and what can be used INSIDE stuffed in the holes or under the duck house where the ducks can't get at in? Also, there is a TON of water running here right now and I need to be mindful of what works best in that situation....

 

[jjthink]

This may have been mentioned - couldn't read through all posts - but be aware that rats are known to move their food (including poison) to other locations for eating at another time. This is one way unintended victims get in the mix.... pets, harmless wildlife etc. The only way to prevent that if one is going to use poison is to create a situation where it can't be relocated.
JJ

 

[looptloop]

Yipes. I was out in the shed with my gals last night and saw the head of a very large mouse, or field rat looking in the opening to their run. I could barely sleep last night. I am glad to see this thread as I figure where I saw 1 there are a million I didn't see. I've put out glue traps and snap traps an have caught no one. Guess I'll resort to poison too....... I can move the girls out of the area for the time being. Good luck!!!

 

[newbiechickenowner]

you to. I don't have a place to move each group to so I have to work around them. I know that they are out there because I have seen the tracks (based on internet photos....VERY large Norway rat tracks because I don't think a muskrat lives this far up and thats how big they looked). Anyway, my son said that he saw a "bunch of them" when he went out to close the coop. They were outside of the full fenced area and not in the runs, but, I know that there are some under the duck house. They hang out over on the manure piles and live in the field next to the fenced area. The fenced area is around 6 coops/duck houses. I don't like killing things ,but I do not like disease and I know that I was happy when the dogs killed and brought a MINK! to the backdoor the other day. I hate to see anything die, BUT....I am much happier that it wasn't my kids finding 20 of their 77 birds dead from that one MINK partying in the compound one night. SO....Mink 0 us 1 YEAH!!!!!!!! He was pretty though....DEAD. Stinky...very stinky

 

[shelleyd2008]

You don't have to move them, just put the poison where the birds can't get it. If you have any cages made of 1" wire or bigger you can put the poison in that so the rats can get to it (yes they can get through 1" wire).

I believe mac in abilene 'swaps out' her/his birds from time to time, so that's what was meant by in between flocks

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
Yes, we have a small organic egg business and replace the birds on a regular schedule. The old birds are sold to live markets.

I'm not sure what you mean about not knowing if there was a salmonella problem. Our eggs are regularly screened for salmonella, but I'm not sure what you were asking...

 

[newbiechickenowner]

now....the ones that hover around the outside must be REALLY big them because their tracks always go up to the fence, but not through it (we have had the benefit of being covered in snow for months so I have been able to watch this, which has been beneficial) So the ones that are under the duck house are smaller so I could use a cage that the birds can't get into? I have seen some t traps from Metzer farms where you make a T out of PVC so that the bait hangs down the center and the rats have to crawl in so that other things can't fit...I might try some of those too.

 

[newbiechickenowner]

Quote:
Yes, we have a small organic egg business and replace the birds on a regular schedule. The old birds are sold to live markets.

I'm not sure what you mean about not knowing if there was a salmonella problem. Our eggs are regularly screened for salmonella, but I'm not sure what you were asking...

How do you have your eggs regular screened? I sent a note to our Department of Health to see if htey will direct me.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
Yes, we have a small organic egg business and replace the birds on a regular schedule. The old birds are sold to live markets.

I'm not sure what you mean about not knowing if there was a salmonella problem. Our eggs are regularly screened for salmonella, but I'm not sure what you were asking...

How do you have your eggs regular screened? I sent a note to our Department of Health to see if htey will direct me.

Our eggs are screened because we are part of an organic producers' cooperative. Our eggs are picked up once a week and hauled to a processing plant and part of the process involves pulling representative samples for testing.

Under the FDA's new salmonella monitoring rules, producers are required to do swab testing of representative areas of the hens' environment. We are not large enough to fall under those rules (over 3000 hens), but because our eggs are pooled with those of other producers, and some of them are large enough to fall under those rules, it is likely we will also start testing our barn for salmonella.

You'd have to send out samples to a lab and pay for testing.