Rats?? What to do??

[FrenchHen]

I'll have to try that mashed potato trick.
There's plaster of paris goodies out now. We'll see what happens to the little nasties.

 

[MakNat]

I'll try the potatoes!! I don't want to poisen them, cause I got cats and dogs too. Of course my jack russell moved down the road to my neighbors. I guess I screwed up yelling at him hanging in the chicken coop!!

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Rat traps with peanut butter work great. I sprinkle some bird seed or layer mash on it too. Put it where the birds can't get to it.

Cats work great too.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

There are more ideas here, too:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=125832

 

[PortageGirl]

First, rats will eat eggs, chicks, and if you have any hens that don't roost up high, they'll attack them from underneath when they're in that night-time stupor and they'll definately kill them if they can.

cgmccary is right about not all cats being good ratters... heck, my housecat watches mice for entertainment without making a move to catch em! We have a feral cat that won't come near us but is good for rats...

If the rat problem is that bad, the poison blocks are mostly safe if the block is where the hens or pets can't reach it since rats crawl back into their burrows to die, as long as you keep an eye out for sickly rats, it's honestly worth the risk. Even if a pet does get one, it'll usually only throw it up, that's the thing, rodents can't up-chuck, which is why those poisons work well on them. (not to say it's SAFE for mammals, just not as dangerous in the secondary form - as in a dead rat)

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

uh... rodents are mammals too... I'd never heard that rodents couldn't vomit... ( but you are totally right!) http://www.scienceray.com/Biology/Zoology/Do-You-Know-Why-a-Rat-Cant-Vomit.114825

 

[sandypaws]

i use live traps... and poodles

you will never get rid of all of them.. just cut the population back..
and i would NEVER risk my pets getting sick or DYING because of poison... it is NOT "worth it"... wow i cant believe someone would think that

 

[shmooborp]

Quote:
one kidnapped and drug one of my 4 week old chicks out of the coop under its broody mama, and they all started to SCREAMMM !! so i rushed out at like 4 am and scared it away

and it has taken many of my quail and "deheade" them

 

[PortageGirl]

chickensducks&agoose :

uh... rodents are mammals too... I'd never heard that rodents couldn't vomit... ( but you are totally right!) http://www.scienceray.com/Biology/Zoology/Do-You-Know-Why-a-Rat-Cant-Vomit.114825

Yeah, your right, they are mammals, they do nurse their young... just rodent family, so my bad!!! But yeah, the non-vomiting part I was sure of.

Horses can't vomit either which is part of why colic is such a problem for them, that and their mile and a half long intestines!! OK, that's an exaggeration but they do have a LOT of intestines!!​

 

[MakNat]

I put the potatoes out right were I saw him run. My coop is small and there is only the spot behind my nesting boxes he can be. I would say there is only a couple or 3. The whole coop/pen is in a very open space.. But... spring is right around the corner. I think I will try and sit a trap too. Theres room behind the nest boxes. The chickens don't even know there is any space there. My cats don't hunt. I have to watch them when they eat. The chickens run the cats off and eat their food. I don't want to use poison.. Thanks to everyone!!!