Rats, but not chipmunks?

[abujumana]

Today I saw a rat run out and drink some water from my hens' water. This is the first time I've ever seen a rat that wasn't dead on my property, so therefore this is the first rat problem I've seen. I have a trap picked out at my local feed store, and if I'm not able to get it, I'll be asking my best friend, @cluckmecoop7, to help me get a trap like her's.
The issue is, I have a bunch of chipmunks running around my yard and in and around my chickens' coop and run. I think that they are cute, and I think that they're helping with my acorn problem. I want the rat dead, but I don't want the chipmunks dead. What can I do to prevent the chipmunks from getting into the trap? Please help. Thanks!

Using the trap is the correct way and do not use poison/I wish you good luck and catch this mouse

 

[aart]

It'll probably be best to set the traps on the trails, right?

Absolutely.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

While it's true that chipmunks are cute, they are almost as bad as rats. At least in some situations.

They spread ticks, disease, steal food, and also make annoying holes around the yard.
The traps we put out around the chicken coops are mostly meant for the rats, but it's good to catch a chipmunk or a squirrel that is hanging around the coop.
The simplest way to do things is to set the trap, and take what you get.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

I never heard anybody say that, but then again, I'm not an expert.

gtg bye

 

[aart]

Ok. I don't know if I have either of those things though.

You don't have any chicken scratch?

 

[aart]

I don't know what BOSS is.

Black Oil Sunflower Seeds.

Any kind of nut or something hard that you can jam into the trigger.
Put bait end of trap up against wall or other vertical surface(like a box).

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Black Oil Sunflower Seeds.

Any kind of nut or something hard that you can jam into the trigger.
Put bait end of trap up against wall or other vertical surface(like a box).

Oh, ok. I got some of those in my wild bird feeder. I can use those. Thanks!

 

[cmom]

I had a coop that was infested with rats. I tried many different ways to eliminate them to no avail. I'm not advocating using poisons but I know it can be used responsibily. I know many will disagree with me on using poison. I moved the birds that were in that coop to another coop and proceeded to renovate it. As I was taking out the ceiling and taking out the inside walls, dozens of rats of all sizes poured out and I also came across some rats nests. I bought some rat bait stations and put them in the coop first. I put the rat bait stations inside pet carriers so nothing but the rats could get to the poison bait. I had seen some rats in the barn which is behind the coops so I put a couple of rat bait stations on shelves in pet carriers so again nothing but the rats could get to the bait. Eventually I noticed that the baits were hardly being touched and some not at all. There is a little window above the bait so I can check it daily ad a partition down the middle that the rats have to go around to get to the bait. I didn't find any dead rats laying around so I suspect they went into the tunnels I saw around the coops and the barn and died so that is why I didn't find any dead rats, they buried themselves. Whatever you do, good luck...

 

[cmom]

This was the coop that was infested. The rats chewed through a 2x4 to get past a stud.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Best way to stop the rats and not harm the chipmunks is to stop feeding them chicken feed. You might know know if they are inside the coop but it is pretty unlikely for a rat to hang around unless it has a steady source of animal feed or other unnatural food source. A rat will always live around 50 feet from its food source, travel is dangerous even at night, predators will get em.

Get a treadle feeder with a spring loaded door. No need to take the feeder in at night, no constant dealing with poisons, trapping, or anything other than filling the feeder every few weeks and making sure the spring is still functioning.

BTW, and it was Howard E that first realized this some years back. The rodents including the chipmunks, do draw all sorts of predators to your coop. Plus the disease and pests like lice and mites, even fleas, that are brought in.