rats getting in coop

[kbadkins]

I have noticed rats in my coop and they eat the chicken feed.. I go through it like crazy..
anyone else deal with this ?

 

[Omran]

Quote:
Thanks God I don't, but you really need to find a solution and quickly, otherwise, you might loos your chickens, because rats can attack chickens, may be you have a problem with the coop floor ! did you check it out?
May be you can post some pictures for us to see if we can help any way.


Omran

 

[kbadkins]

no I have seen them crawl through the chicken wire.. they fit so I got a smaller grade wire and they are still finding their way in... I still have some regular chicken wire on some parts of the coop so they have to be getting in that way... I know they are after the chicken feed.. I live in an area where tree rats are a huge problem... I just never thought I had to deal with them in my coop

 

[enola]

Try taking up the chicken feed at night. Then you can set some traps for them. They will not go to the traps if there is feed to tempt them.

 

[Tala]

I would take my birds out in the house for a night, insert my cats into coop, close the door . . . and wait for the unsuspecting rats.

Trapping them would probably be less work, but I've never had any luck trapping rats

 

[Judy]

Quote:
This would be a good solution. One way or another, you need to deal with them right away. Lots of suggestions here without risking using poison. Cover all holes but one, insert garden hose X 1 hour, or insert road flare.... just a couple that I recall. But stop them before they get your chickens. In cities they munch on babies in their cribs....

 

[Mahonri]

You can buy bait tubes (made from PVC pipe) that only the rats can get into. Use "Just One Bite'... they eat it and die.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
But what if your dog or cat, or chicken, eats the dead rat?

Is there a poison that will not kill the animal that eats the rat?

 

[AnnesChicks]

As much as I hate the idea of using poison, it is the only thing that seems to work. And I worry about the damage they do chewing on things and the diseases they might spread, so I don't want them around. For years we have had trouble with them moving into our garage and attic during the winter. We live at the edge of a woodsy area. And now that we have chickens I am on red alert. You can buy pre-made bait boxes at the feed store - for about $20 each.

But I make my own and I have used those in the garage and outside under my bird feeder for years. They are weatherproof, and only your intended target can get at the poison. I have two labs and labs are true garbage guts but I've never had a problem with them eating a dead rodent or bothering the bait boxes.

I buy plastic shoe boxes at the dollar store, at one end cut a rat size hole on each side. My DH has a drill bit for doorknobs works perfect. Then cut a piece of cardboard as wide as the bottom of box and bend one end up about 2" and duct tape it in place. This holds the pellets at the other end of the box away from the holes. I buy a bag of poison pellets from the feed store. Then I tape it shut with duct tape, place it with the holes nearest the wall, fence whatever they are running along and weight it down with a big rock, chunk of firewood. In the garage I actually have it under the garbage can I keep the dog food in. I am now using one behind my coop/outside the run.

 

[joedie]

I also have bait boxes and use small poison blocks that have "no second kill" so if my cats ate the rats or mice, it won't effect them. I get them from my pest contol company that sprays the house for bugs. I also use them around the foundation of the house and haven't had a problem in the 2 years I've used them. (the house was built in 1860 so you can imagine the problem. )