Rats - Part Two - OMG what do we do now?

[Stonerowfarm]

Now what do I do????? We have battled rats in the barn all winter. Sounds like a pretty common problem this year, so we just kept battling through catching as many as 6-7 on our best nights. Well, the weather turned a bit, got nicer and the rats seemed to have disappeared. I began to wonder if a new feral cat moved into the barn to have her kittens.

Well, last night we found out where the buggers have gone. Near one end of the barn we have a shed that DH converted to a coop for my banties. A month or so ago we lost two silkies to a rat over a space of six days. DH tightened up the door, blocking any opening. We thought it took care of the problem. The walls are insulated and covered, as is the ceiling. Actually it's a very nice coop that has served the banties well. Last night we were out behind it when DH saw what looked like insulation stuck near the roof. He pulled it out and it was actually a gnawed hole near the roof line. Sure enough within a minute or so a grey nose poked out. We believe the rats are living in the nice and comfy insulated ceiling of the coop.

I put a 5 gal pail outside the coop with a bottle over the top hoping to catch a dumb rat. But, these guys have obviously been learning how to avoid me all winter. So, I don't know how well this might work. Any other suggestions. I told DH he might end up sitting outside of the coop with a .22 if we can't figure out a safe way to dispose of them. I'm worried about poisons because of the banties, Ginger, my free-ranging hen and of course the dogs.

FYI I'm so afraid of rodents I actually screech and run the other way when I see them.

 

[crosbygroup]

Why not invest in a cat? Maybe a Skipperke dog? I'm not sure how they are with chickens but they were bred to kill rats on garbage barges.

 

[paddock36]

I know you said you don't like poisons but if you could put some up in the area where they are hiding away from the chickens it would probably solve your problem. We had a problem with rats under our swimming pool deck. They were living there and going after the left over chicken food at night. After we put poison there we had no more rat problem.

 

[Stonerowfarm]

Well, other than feral cats that show up around here, I have indoor cats who don't go out because people seem to think the road outside my house is a raceway. I live on a corner and the cars gun it around it to go up the hill. I'm worried no cat would be safe around here outside.

We thought of putting poison up in the ceiling, but I'm worried the rats will come down looking for water and go into the coop, die there and then the birds would eat them.

Hubby thought of moving the chickens out for a few hours and trying to gas them, but I don't want dead rats in the ceiling (and possibly walls) and I don't know if it's air-tight enough.

 

[teach1rusl]

The only two things I can think of is shoving some poison/bait up into that opening and sealing it off (even with duct tape, just so no poison would accidentally fall down inside the coop) and then dealing with the likelihood of dead rats up there, or getting a barn cat. And by a barn cat, I mean a cat known to hunt who is street (barn) smart. You could post an add for wanting a good mouser/barn cat. Because even if you got a cat from the pound/humane society, you don't know that it would be a good mouser/hunter (although you could luck out). And your indoor kitties probably wouldn't take too kindly to being evicted...lol.

I hope this works out for you. I'm glad I deal with moles rather than rats.

 

[Boyd]

one member here used peanut butter, plaster of paris and just enough olive oil to make these into dough balls. Rats eat them, the plaster of paris heats up and the rats die. Put it in areas where your chooks won't get to it.

 

[BlackBart]

My neighbor has had good success with traps. He baits with peanut butter mixed with sardines, sometimes marshmallows.
Rats can get thru the tightest cracks. But they wont pass steel wool, so some people stuff steel wool in the cracks.
I would poison them and put out trays of water where the chickens can't get at it. Take out the chicken food and chicken water at night so they have to eat the bait.

 

[andalusn]

It may not be so much of an issue for town folks but when you live in a country it's you against nature

I am on five acres and have rats, big ones and many field mice. We have been here about a year and a half and the rats appear to have a nice tunnel system under the the barn area. My floors are dirt so I can't do much about that. I think they have taken advantage of the moles living space.

There is a wild tom cat living out back and I am sure he does his part on the smaller rodents but I still have mice that will scurry out of hiding. My Schipperke, Liza has taken on the job of rat patrol. She quietly patrols the barn sniffing all sorts of spaces and last weekend while I was collecting eggs she dispatched on very fat rat under my brooder. I reallly think the location was a matter of happenstance. It's reallly the horse side of the barn and the grain is over there. While I endorse my method it would not be for everyone since it sounds like your location to the road is more of an issue than the rats.

Barn cats for me are barn cats.. not my fluffy pet. They get minimal food and basic care and a pat once in a while but they fend for themselves and what happens happens. Most of mine have lived for over 10 years on their barn smarts. A true barn cat reallly does not want attention. We (people) turn them into pets and then they don't hunt so much. To have a schipp you would need to be able to fence your yard and I mean all that would be the dog space. This includes the barn, chicken etc. Schipps are known to be runners and more die from HBC accidents than anything else. They are a great dog, I have had 6 in the past 20 years. Currently we have two that are 12 and 13 in years and age makes a huge difference in their wanting to run. Mine are my shadow now and they do fantastic amongst the chickens but even that takes training. My attitude is more relaxed I guess, I can't dispatch all the potential problems and even though I know they are there they leave the chickens alone and have more to worry about from the dogs.

 

[95yj]

We had a major problem with rats a few years ago, they were living under one of our coops that was completely inaccessible. we moved all the birds into a single secure coop and the basement, walked the dogs on leash for a few weeks, removed all possible food and water sources and dropped poison everywhere the rats might get it. you will most likely never see a dead rat, they like to hide in tight spaces as they die, i found a pile of 12 dead rats as the snow melted, they hid in a snow tunnel. Its a huge pain to move all the birds, but worth it. you can also take a large tupperware container, it has to be really big, and fill it half way with water, then dump a bag of sunflower seeds into it. the seeds float and it looks like a tub of seeds and the rats jump in and drown. I'd do that in conjunction with the poison.

 

[SandraChick]

rat zapper.....Best $50 i ever spent.

We used to have rats in our shop, and we would always get a bunch of them when we tried a new method...but those guys are smart! Buttttt....with the rat zapper has been wonderful (it electricutes them). I initially tried it despite the cost because it had a 100% satisfaction guarantee....and have since bought another one. Needs D batteries--but that makes it so you can put it anywhere. We have one in the shop and one on the coop going 24/7 and now we catch the rats moving from from neighbors piles...BEFORE they set up in our buildings. I had another neighbor who was battling rats and she tried it. She also has two now running 24/7...... Easy Peasy!

Good Luck-
-Sandra