Rats getting in my coop... HELP!!!

[fried green eggs]

I found this thread because I am having the same problem. When it first started I used snap traps under a milk crate, it worked pretty well until they got smart about it and then i was just finding empty, unsnapped traps

. The problem died down for a little bit but it's back now. I walked in my coop tonight to get eggs and heard a noise before i opened the door but after i looked inside i saw the feeder(25lb) swaying side to side and a HUGE hole dug out under the grit box.

I have a mouse cat, she does catch rats sometimes but we have a large Vole population here too so they keep her busier, easier to get to. We also have feral cats around here whom I have literally caught sleeping in the nest boxes on cold nights. It's just not enough for the amount of rats though.

Tonight I reset the snap trap with peanut butter and placed it under the crate but tomorrow I am going to mix a poison block with peanut butter and put it around the Outside of the coop where there's obvious rat holes. Keeping my fingers crossed it'll work as well for me as it did for you, Kanga77510.

The down side of using poison to kill rats is if you have cats or dogs that eat one of the poisoned rats - they will die too.

 

[New Chicky]

I just bought a child safe pet safe poison dispenser to get rid of the rats but keep my chickens and animals/children safe!! Home Depot ! refillable rat traps about 10 bucks

 

[cobbcruiser]

Ok.. Thanks for all you help. I think I'm going to do the bucket trap first because it won't harm my children or other pets. After that I will move to snap traps and work on clearing out some lumber and overgrown brush near the coop. I'll report back my progress....

Hey j_morgan76,

How did your things work out for you?

 

[ozarkchicks]

get a good mouser cat, and yes the rats will steal eggs and kill/hurt the chickens

 

[MoHillbilly62]

Rats and mice are very "CLEAN" rodents, that is their weakness. They are constantly grooming their fur, and removing any thing stuck to it. What I do is mix poison with white corn syrup and drizzle it around where they enter and exit the coop. it stick to the hair and gets the job done. Do not make a puddle with it just a drizzle around where they move through.

 

[middleone]

I have same problem we are going to put poison down I hate rats!!

 

[JackAubrey]

I had this problem so I stopped putting feed in the coop. I also bought a Crosman1322 pellet pistol, effective and fun!

 

[middleone]

Are your hens in a run? Mine are and we put poison down around the run it works very well .

 

[sammy2008]

I am finding that sticky traps and regular traps baited with peanut butter do not work. Tonight I put water in a 5 gallon pal (half way) and smeared peanut butter in side the bucket, We will see in the morning.

 

[Congers Coop]

My chicken got a hold of a poisoned rat. She is getting better day by day. I killed one in the yard but I'm sure there are more. Did the bucket work? I was trying to figure out where my eggs went!!