- Thread starter
- #31
Just for an update (thanks for all the advice and comments!).
I put out 3 plastic cat litter boxes modified to hold bait and allow only small rodent entry - 1 in the coop, 1 in the shop next to the coop, and one in our horsebarn about 80 yards away. I used the Chunx bait sold at TSC, as it was a slower rodenticide, so less risk to wildlife/barn cats, and would help get all the rats before they got wise.
I had to put up all the chicken feed before they started taking the bait. They cleaned out the bait in the shop after about a week of waiting, then the one in the coop. I refilled the shop a couple times, and a week with no action, then they cleaned out the shop again.
They finally found the bait in the horse barn a couple days ago. (There was horse feed all over because they had eaten into a bag and scattered it.) and have cleaned the bait out overnight 3 nights running, so I expect it to get really smelly soon....
We found an old chest freezer to keep the horse grain bags in, so the loose feed in the barn won't be a problem anymore. We keep most of our feed in metal trash cans...they were getting the bags waiting to be dumped in the can.
I am still waiting another week or 2 to fill my continuous feeders for the chickens. Right now the chickens are pissed that we only come down once a day to dole out the pellets and scraps, but there hasn't been any visible rodent droppings in the coop for the last week so it's all good.
I've lived in the country a long time with animals, and have never had this level of rodent population where the cats and other predators didn't take care of them. We have had enormous amounts of rain since January and I think that drove them into the buildings more.
Management is key, but sometimes outside factors can tip the balance.
Thanks again for all the help!!
I put out 3 plastic cat litter boxes modified to hold bait and allow only small rodent entry - 1 in the coop, 1 in the shop next to the coop, and one in our horsebarn about 80 yards away. I used the Chunx bait sold at TSC, as it was a slower rodenticide, so less risk to wildlife/barn cats, and would help get all the rats before they got wise.
I had to put up all the chicken feed before they started taking the bait. They cleaned out the bait in the shop after about a week of waiting, then the one in the coop. I refilled the shop a couple times, and a week with no action, then they cleaned out the shop again.
They finally found the bait in the horse barn a couple days ago. (There was horse feed all over because they had eaten into a bag and scattered it.) and have cleaned the bait out overnight 3 nights running, so I expect it to get really smelly soon....
We found an old chest freezer to keep the horse grain bags in, so the loose feed in the barn won't be a problem anymore. We keep most of our feed in metal trash cans...they were getting the bags waiting to be dumped in the can.
I am still waiting another week or 2 to fill my continuous feeders for the chickens. Right now the chickens are pissed that we only come down once a day to dole out the pellets and scraps, but there hasn't been any visible rodent droppings in the coop for the last week so it's all good.
I've lived in the country a long time with animals, and have never had this level of rodent population where the cats and other predators didn't take care of them. We have had enormous amounts of rain since January and I think that drove them into the buildings more.
Management is key, but sometimes outside factors can tip the balance.
Thanks again for all the help!!