Rats & Mice games begin, Solutions?

[rembrandt]

There is one sure way of dealing with rodents and it is quite easy; stop feeding them and they will leave. Because of natural predators they have to live within a few dozen yards of their main food source as travel is quite dangerous for rodents in natural environments.

So, you can hand feed what the flocks will clean up while you stand there and watch, or spend the money on a proper treadle feeder. What is a proper treadle feeder? Narrow and distant treadle to prevent rats piling up and operating the feeder or pushing with their feet on a close in treadle while pushing on the lid to get inside. Next is an inward swinging door for safety. Next is making sure the door is spring loaded to prevent the rodents from pushing the door or lid open, which is why the inward swinging door is so important. Next no plastic on the feeder that can and will be chewed through, sheet metal, no aluminum.

Bringing in the food at night or the water for that matter just teaches the vermin to eat their fill during the day. Some flocks will eat the smaller mice, rats usually are fearless around chickens.

Treadle feeders pay for themselves in feed savings if they are properly designed with a inward protruding lip of at least 1/2" and sides with a side flange on each side. 99% of hens won't rake feed out of a feeder that is fully enclosed unless you are mixing treats with feed or feeding a mixed grain and they are looking for the goodies. For that last 1% make sure the feeder has a feed lip extender available. Rarely needed but when it is needed it is needed.

Trapping and poisoning rarely work, rodents are very intelligent, and if they did there is no end to both as new populations are born or move into a now vacant territory.

Stop feeding the rats by not setting out a buffet for them. The natural food available will severely limit rodent populations of any area and the constant hustling about searching for food limits the rodents as well. If you have a severe infestation put the treadle feeder into operation first and then trap and poison as both are far more effective on a starving rat colony. Another point is to avoid any feeder that requires you to block it open for days or weeks during training as the rats are being trained as well.

Good luck with getting rid of the vermin. Do a forum search on rats and chickens and you will find Howard E.'s posts or my posts where I have linked to his posts on the issue. Best information out there on controlling rodents is Howard's work

@Al Gerhart Thank you SO very much for your kindness in taking the time to share all of the valuable information. It's all extremely helpful, and I greatly appreciate it.
I had those seen videos you posted of Howard E.'s on another thread. I had watched them already. Fascinating and timeless.
I'll keep after the critters til I can resolve it 100%!!!
I recently made some headway withholding food, as today I was shocked to find where the rats had a new tunnel quite a distance from the garage - going after a little food I tossed outside for wild birds (I rarely feed due to attracting hawks
So the rats must have been super hungry to tunnel out so far.
I won't be feeding the wild birds at all now.

 

[PopoMyers]

@Al Gerhart , 100% spot on. Treadle feeders, while more expensive at the beginning, saves by not having to buy more traps, poisons, and feed! I've had recent success with these. No detectable rat activity since getting these, and the chickens are all trained to them. I do not have any fancy cameras, but no more tunnels, or rat poop seen. I have saved one bucket trap for the garden in summer when I use straw for mulch. They dig for the wheat berries.

 

[Al Gerhart]

So true Popo Myers, it is a one time cost if you keep it up out of the muck. And the feed savings from waste pays for the feeder in short order even if you don't have rats. One less vector for disease and pests coming into the flock, fewer predators attracted to the rodents and wild birds, it comes down to if you don't have a treadle feeder you are already paying for it. Starving out rodents works every single time.