Rats, can’t seem to get rid of em

[FluffyFaverolles]

I live in an urban area and we’ve had rats for years. Our coop is right next to a wooded area so I’m assuming that’s where they come from. They never bother the chickens themselves, in fact some of our hens have killed them before, but I know they carry disease which is really gross. The biggest problem is that they steal food and drink their water, so we take the feeders out at night. We’ve set traps out which seemed to ward them off temporarily but they’re huge and seem to keep coming back. There’s a lot of gaps in the coop’s roof and stuff so we’re tearing it down and rebuilding it, but I’m not sure when that’ll be. Thanks for any help in advance!

 

[Folly's place]

Rats do carry nasty diseases, and will also kill your chickens; it happened here! I'd consider this an emergency, and both reinforce the coop, and add bait stations at their burrows.
No trap will ever get them all, they are just too smart.
Mary

 

[The Moonshiner]

@Al Gerhart
Get over here.

 

[cmom]

I agree with Folly's place. I had a coop that was infested. When I started to renovate it there were several rats nests and dozens of rats of all sizes poured out. I didn't want to use poison but I tried many other things to no avail. I finially bought some rat bait stations. I put the bait stations in pet carriers so that only the rats could get to the bait and put them in our barn which is right behind my coops. I had seen some rats in the barn too so I figured they were traveling between the coops and the barn. The rat bait boxes have a little window above the bait so it can be checked regularly. It did get to the point to where the baits weren't being touched. I still keep them out and loaded in case any rats want to take up residency and check them. I did not find any dead rats laying around so I assumed they went into their tunnels I found around the coops and barn and died. Even if you think your have gotten rid of them more will usually eventually try to move in. Good luck...

 

[Al Gerhart]

Rats are territorial pack creatures and the number of rats is determined by the carrying capacity of their territory usually from wild foods. Once a BYC owner sets up a buffet the population can explode. The solution that always works is a decent treadle feeder. Once you cut off the feed, the rats have to leave or spend their time finding natural food. That will take much more time than raiding a chicken feeder and it exposes the rodents to natural predators. Rodents pee constantly and I have read scientific reports stating that the pee is florescent to some winged predators, a big old honking trail leading right to their source of food and back to their den. Rats will usually live within a few dozen yards of their food source, mice about half that distance. And they are smart, they know if they burrow in under the coop they are much safer as there is no travel to get to their food source.

So the abundance of food and the less risk of depredation will lead to an explosion in rat population. Bringing the feed in at night just teaches the rats to eat during the day. Some birds will attack and kill rats, some won't, most won't I would say.

The solution is to just stop feeding the rodents. Buy a treadle feeder and pay close attention to the negative reviews as they are generally the honest ones and the customers that most likely actually had a rodent problem. You will need some full size birds to operate a well designed feeder because the door needs to be spring loaded to prevent the vermin from just pushing the door open. The treadle has to be narrow and set well back so that the treadle cannot be overwhelmed with vermin. And all metal, no plastic that will just get chewed through.

Research a lot before spending your hard earned money. Sites with affiliate links write those "reviews" based upon who pays the highest commission. If you see a link to Amazon watch out, or eBay. Some sites are honest and follow the FTC law on affiliate selling and warn you, most don't.

Good luck.

 

[ColtHandorf]

I agree with Folly's place. I had a coop that was infested. When I started to renovate it there were several rats nests and dozens of rats of all sizes poured out. I didn't want to use poison but I tried many other things to no avail. I finially bought some rat bait stations. I put the bait stations in pet carriers so that only the rats could get to the bait and put them in our barn which is right behind my coops. I had seen some rats in the barn too so I figured they were traveling between the coops and the barn. The rat bait boxes have a little window above the bait so it can be checked regularly. It did get to the point to where the baits weren't being touched. I still keep them out and loaded in case any rats want to take up residency and check them. I did not find any dead rats laying around so I assumed they went into their tunnels I found around the coops and barn and died. Even if you think your have gotten rid of them more will usually eventually try to move in. Good luck...

That story always makes me shudder. When I worked at a Petco a huge lot behind the mall was developed and all the rats moved in and found the tons of dog food in the back of the store an excellent substitute for whatever they'd been eating in the wild. We lost thousands and thousands of dollars before we got the problem under control. I hated going in the back. Rats would just run up everything into the ceiling. And as it got later in the day/evening they'd start showing up on the floor. *shudders*

 

[Folly's place]

By the time that rats meet you out there, especially during the day, there are a LOT of them! Been there, done that, and only poison fixed the problem
@Al Gerhart 's feeders work great, except for chicks and bantams, who are not heavy enough to use them.
Mary

 

[The Moonshiner]

By the time that rats meet you out there, especially during the day, there are a LOT of them! Been there, done that, and only poison fixed the problem
@Al Gerhart 's feeders work great, except for chicks and bantams, who are not heavy enough to use them.
Mary

Would they work for chicks or bantams if a rat or two stood next to them for added weight?
Like a mutualistic relationship?

 

[Folly's place]

Here, that rat would eat the chick instead!
Pet rats are great, wild rats, definitely not!
Mary

 

[STACEYH]

I saw this looks like it will work.