Rats, rats EVERYWHERE! ☹️

[HuffleClaw]

SO was once told that the appropriate rat control was one cat per acre. Hes all well and good if they stay on their own acre! But you know all of them will end up in the house eating cat food instead.

I cant keep 22 cats

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

You can't beat a good mouser barn cat. My cat will kill anything that is her size or smaller that includes full grown wild rabbits

 

[HuffleClaw]

You an train chickens to hunt rats and mice. Another member taught me how, I can't remember her username, but thank you who every you were!

Mine are all young chickens so I don’t think they can be trained. They’re too focused on getting out to eat grass (or what’s left of it)

 

[HuffleClaw]

You can't beat a good mouser barn cat. My cat will kill anything that is her size or smaller that includes full grown wild rabbits

If only my 4 did the same...

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Step one is deny them food. Step two is elimination. Elimination is pointless without cleaning and maintenance and food reduction. For that I started feeding the chickens only what they'd eat in a day, sweeping up every single spilled pellet, and being diligent about compost burying deeply.

RATX did almost nothing for me. What did something for me was keeping my dogs on a tight leash for 4 months and using bait boxes. Prior to this the dogs were killing up to 6 rats a night and it did nothing. They WILL start in on eating your chickens if their numbers get too large and they aren't getting free fed. The rats I had started with the baby rabbits, then the chicks, then the cockerels. I also patrolled my chicken pen daily for issues and cleaned up bodies.

The VAST majority of rats that die from poison go back to their holes to do it and die underground. The amount of poison left in dead rodents is trace enough that even if a cat eats a whole rat chances are good it won't die, and a dog certainly wouldn't. It would take a few rats for a cat to have problems. The bait itself is in boxes that nothing but a rat or smaller can access it. They're even IN the chicken pen with my birds.

You can TRY snap traps and glue traps but they must be moved every time you catch a single rat to not tip off the colony and you have to rotate baits. You can imagine how bad it is to get rid of hundreds of rats with needing to rotate traps every time you catch one. Especially because snap traps must be baited unset for a few days to encourage them. Bucket traps are the same.

If you won't use poisons... Well, I had no luck using any of the above methods and I used them all. My dogs, RAT-X, snap traps, bucket traps... They did not make a dent. Good luck.

 

[Weeg]

Mine are all young chickens so I don’t think they can be trained. They’re too focused on getting out to eat grass (or what’s left of it)

Ya, but they like treats! Rats are tasty! Young chickens may be easier, because they will get the taste of rat early! You need to throw dead rats or mice in the coop, ( yes, totally disgusting!) and let them eat it. Have them get the taste of rat so that they like it! Then, you can throw live rats in the coop and let hem chase them and kill them for fun and yumminess! Then, eventually, they will hun there own rats and eat them!

 

[hysop]

I wish I could have cats but my husband doesn’t want any. And I feel if I left them outside 24/7 like I do with my dogs they would just turn into feral cats. Or my dogs would chase it away or something.

So are all 22 acres infested or just where your chickens are?

I know with my property the mice and rats are in the field which I’ve never seen any but I hear owls all the time and thank God they’ve never gotten my chickens so I think it’s due to plenty of mice and rats to choose from (plus secure coops of course)

 

[HuffleClaw]

My cats only eat wild birds if they catch them. They leave rodents (squirrels Etc) at the doorstep.

 

[HuffleClaw]

I wish I could have cats but my husband doesn’t want any. And I feel if I left them outside 24/7 like I do with my dogs they would just turn into feral cats. Or my dogs would chase it away or something.

So are all 22 acres infested or just where your chickens are?

I know with my property the mice and rats are in the field which I’ve never seen any but I hear owls all the time and thank God they’ve never gotten my chickens so I think it’s due to plenty of mice and rats to choose from (plus secure coops of course)

Just where the chickens are.

 

[The Moonshiner]

They will only attack chickens in desperation. Most chickens will attack rats too. I you don't take away food, you will never get rid of them. You need to make it so they can't get to eh chickens then, you can't keep feeding them. I get it though, it is a ligament point.

If there's a massive amount of rats there and suddenly their food source disappears that does sound like it will cause desperation.
Chickens rarely attack rats and never when theyre roosting which is when the rats will be most active. I'm not saying taking away the feed isn't a good idea just saying be prepare for what will come next.
When it comes to an infestation ive been there done that.