Rats! I have bad rats!

[LTreadwell]

Hey guys! I have 13 chickens out in the country that live in a large coop with 5 gallon bucket feeder and waterers. I don't go down to the coop daily (automatic door) and collect eggs every couple days. No problem for the last 3 years.

It has been raining non-stop for the last 3 months and the rats have come to live in my horse barn and chicken coop! The amount of rat poop in my nesting boxes makes me want to throw up and stop eating eggs! So super gross.

I have read a lot of past posts, and get that feed and water sources have to be picked up or removed, and poison is probably what we need to get things under control.

My problem is that my coop works for me because it is low maintenance - I work 12 hour shifts and do chores on my days off. I want to keep the 5 gallon feeders and waterers. I was thinking of doing some rope and pulley to the ceiling so I could raise and lower them each day for a few weeks while the rats get the poison bait instead. I am accepting that I need to make an effort for 2x/day coop trip for a while, but I want to make it as fast and easy as I can.

Any idea on how high I would need to raise them? Any DIY squirrel baffles so the rats can't climb down the rope? My nesting boxes are elevated about 24 inches off the coop floor, and I am not sure how the rats are climbing in there - I guess up the vertical wood walls? Can I cover the walls with something to make it too slick to climb? Does peppermint oil repel them? Is bleach ok to disinfect my boxes?

Thanks for any suggestions as I prepare to go to war! Hopefully Spring comes soon and the Kingsnakes wake back up to help!

Lisa

 

[Chicken Heel]

This appears to be Norway rats and they are hell to deal with once they have become established. Poison is probably going to be your best option at this point. Years ago as a teenager, I actually got attacked by one of those while gathering eggs one night after dark.

 

[Chicken Heel]

This appears to be Norway rats and they are hell to deal with once they have become established. Poison is probably going to be your best option at this point. Years ago as a teenager, I actually got attacked by one of those while gathering eggs one night after dark.

And these type of rats will come right back if you keep leaving larger quantities of feed out for your chickens. They see it as an all you can eat buffet.

 

[Henry&Friends]

these did the trick for me. Find the rat holes, and stuff a place pac down in there. I spent months digging up their tunnels, my mom buried glass, we blocked off the whole basement (chickens were in the mud room at the time) and nothing seemed to work. Then, we Placed these in their burrows, and a few weeks later there wasnt a rat in sight. The only problem is that the poison is little crumbles of poison, so you’ll want to keep them away from your chickens. And be aware of secondhand poisoning and such.... if you find dead ones, I try to bury them at least 4 feet deep in a plastic bag so they don’t smell and attract animals.

 

[Naser]

Buy trigger happy chicken feeders, use the biggest bin possible "I use 80 litre dust bin" raise the bin gradually until the hens have to stretch or even jump, you may have to experiment of thickness of the plastic to get the best result, "I made a big hole at the bottom of the bin and then I used the lid of the bucket below to make a small hole for the feeder"
https://www.plantsgaloreonline.co.uk/images/products/large/2540_fishbloodandbonepg300.jpg

 

[getaclue]

I have to deal with them off, and on. I just got finished dealing with a LOT of them. I prefer this bait, over all the rest. They're not instant, but within 10-12 days, your rat problem should be solved. I don't remove my feeders, and water buckets. I do move them to check under them for tunnels. You can use 5 gallon buckets, using a large hole saw on the side, at the bottom to cut some holes on one side, then place the bait in the buckets, and put the lid on it. That helps prevent other critters from getting into it. Break the baits up at the seams with a large screwdriver, or whatever you have that will break them, then put at least half a package per bucket. Check daily. That's important, because sometimes they ignore it the first few days, then suddenly eat most, or all of it. Make sure you flood, and/or turn any tunnels you find if you have dirt flooring. Rake, and move flooring material, to get rid of tunnels, if you don't have a dirt floor. Check under feeders, water buckets, etc. for tunnels.
https://www.amazon.com/NEOGEN-RODEN...&qid=1582313327&sprefix=ramix+,aps,182&sr=8-7

 

[LTreadwell]

They're not instant, but within 10-12 days, your rat problem should be solved. I don't remove my feeders, and water buckets. I do move them to check under them for tunnels. You can use 5 gallon buckets, using a large hole saw on the side, at the bottom to cut some holes on one side, Check under feeders, water buckets, etc. for tunnels.
https://www.amazon.com/NEOGEN-RODEN...&qid=1582313327&sprefix=ramix+,aps,182&sr=8-7

Wow, thanks! I have some plastic cat litter containers I will do this with - how big do you make the holes?

One of the reviews on Amazon said you need to fix these in the bucket with a wire so the rats don't drag it off whole for later. Maybe that is why they disappear?

That's good news about not having to pick up the feed and still be successful!

Thanks for the replies and suggestions!

 

[Howard E]

On the feed issue, check into a rat proof feeder. It fits your schedule and if installed properly, chickens will be able to use it and rats can't. That alone may do it, but if not, you can then include the poison bait blocks..........and do use them from secure bait boxes made for that purpose.

 

[Sunshine_Chick]

You are not alone with the rat problem here's my story:
I didn't know I had rat(s) until I tried to go to the store Wednesday. My car wouldn't start. While on the phone with my mechanic trying to diagnose the issue I discovered a nest & the darn thing has eaten the wiring harness to the computer of my vehicle. Mechanic can't even look at it till the end of next week. My next door neighbor took everything out of their garage last weekend & bet I know why now. I have no idea how much it is going to cost IF he can even fix it. To think it happened in just a couple of days. I had 2 packets of rat poison I bought at the feed store when I saw someone else buy them for $1.00 each BUT I was hesitant to place them around & not seeing rats, but so cheap I felt compelled to buy them. All the boxes of stuff in my garage they could have made a nest & they chose my car. When I have wheels again next month I will be buying more. Mechanic told me to put moth balls under the hood because they will be back he said. A friend brought me moth balls as I am incarcerated in my own house without wheels.

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

I had a horrible problem with rats. I tried humane methods and homemade traps, but nothing worked. I closed up all the feeders at night, and even stopped using some extra feeders that I had because the rats would chow down on those during the day. I finally bought bait blocks and bait boxes. I've been using them for about 2 months now. I went from a dozen rats scurrying away to zero. I never see rats now. I load the bait boxes about once a week.