Rats at night near chickens

[CrazyChickenDude]

I got 4-8 rats on camera last night, on arlo. They were mostly average in size, but one in particular was GIGANTIC! It was about as large as a juvenile, or "teenage" opossum! It outweighed the other rats 2 to 1! My neighbor abandoned her house years ago, and now it's a rat powerhouse breeding ground, (pun intended.) They moved into our attic, but we got poison control center here yesterday. The thing I'm most worried about is the rats getting one of our smaller, weaker, or not so smart hens. The rats are interested in the chicken food, but I'm nervous that if I take the food inside, the rats will go after the chickens. The chickens are locked up at night, but I think a rat will gnaw a hole and hurt one or more hens. If anyone knows what to do, please help me. My chickens mean so much to me..

 

[MROO]

Ask your poison control people how to report the abandoned house. It's a public health hazard.

 

[CrazyChickenDude]

See the thing is, she still owns the house, and is crazy. She is a super hoarder and will sometimes spend the night there, as grotesque as that is.

 

[Thyme4Chickens]

Ugh, how horrible for you!

Have you seen this thread? https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...my-went-to-war-on-them.1216226/#post-19414387

 

[aart]

See the thing is, she still owns the house, and is crazy. She is a super hoarder and will sometimes spend the night there, as grotesque as that is.

It's still a public health hazard.

 

[MROO]

See the thing is, she still owns the house, and is crazy. She is a super hoarder and will sometimes spend the night there, as grotesque as that is.

That doesn't change the fact that the place is a public health hazard. In fact, it ups the ante a bit, as she will never go for help on her own. Report the house!

 

[mountain chicken]

we had a abandon house up here it was infested with rats mice bats ect , we called county building safety 2 days later they tore it down, just hope all those critters don't migrate my way .

now it be nice to be able to buy that 5 acre lot keep neighbors even further away .

 

[CrazyChickenDude]

Update! We're fostering a cat to help. 1. For it to find a home. 2. To get the rats. I will have to watch it because now there's a big raccoon.

 

[MROO]

Update! We're fostering a cat to help. 1. For it to find a home. 2. To get the rats. I will have to watch it because now there's a big raccoon.

Make sure its current on its rabies shots!