Rats

[xx Georgina xx]

We have rats...
I have looked after chickens for 3 years now and never got a single rat.
I would like them gone.
How do you get rid of them?

Thank you

 

[Allears]

Rats need food and shelter to flourish, if they have access to both the population will grow quickly. If you have piles of wood, or long grass in the area that will serve as shelter. Have you got a compost heap going? That is pretty much serves as a buffet....

 

[xx Georgina xx]

Rats need food and shelter to flourish, if they have access to both the population will grow quickly. If you have piles of wood, or long grass in the area that will serve as shelter. Have you got a compost heap going? That is pretty much serves as a buffet....

Oh dear
We don't have a compost heap but sometimes we do his the chickens and rabbits to snack on
We put the corn away at night time and the hole are under the wood where the chickens sleep

 

[xx Georgina xx]

This is under there bed

 

[Allears]

I believe mint plants are a good deterrent to rodents. I've not tried it myself yet.... Fill up the tunnels with stones and move any piles of wood etc that is lying around the coop. Rats and mice don't like disturbances around their homes (like most of us) and moving their hiding places exposes them to natural predators too. Your chickens won't be safe until the rats are gone. I don't use rodenticide because of secondary poisoning to owls and the like.

 

[xx Georgina xx]

Thank you
I do move the kids now and then but the back where logs are standing i can't move because this is where my the dog has broke it
(I am waiting for it to be fixed but thank you I'll give it a go

 

[MysteriaSdrassa]

Get yourself a good rat dog. smaller breeds tend to be better ratters than larger breeds. my little guy is a pom-longhair chinese crested mix....he looks like a little fox and is a better vermin catcher than the cats

mice, rats, squirlls, chipmunks,, if it squeaks,, he's after it,, but won't touch baby chicks,, he thinks he is their mamma

 

[xx Georgina xx]

Get yourself a good rat dog. smaller breeds tend to be better ratters than larger breeds. my little guy is a pom-longhair chinese crested mix....he looks like a little fox and is a better vermin catcher than the cats    mice, rats, squirlls, chipmunks,, if it squeaks,, he's after it,, but won't touch baby chicks,, he thinks he is their mamma

We have good rat pets
Last night a rat was frightened on top of the coop I didn't know until my 2 rat hunters barked we got them in with a family member watching the rat when we got the ready for the rest to fall it escaped
So I'm kind of hoping for another way

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Tamper proof bait boxes with chunx bait. I keep one right in the chicken run, safe to use. Chunx bait doesn't get scattered about like pellets, the pests have to chew it off so it stays in their mouth. In over a year of using it I've only found one dead rodent on the lawn and dispatched that before letting chickens out in morning. The pests will die in nests and holes. Effective on squirrels, chipmunks, rats and mice.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Protecta-LP...801?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f25e7cc79

Chunx bait can be purchased in one gallon size pails that would last years. It's a bit of change up front and they work so well you'd think you don't even need them until you open a box and see all the bait is gone.

If you see one hole you've got a dozen rats, two holes fifty and three or more holes your overrun.

 

[Allears]

Please try natural remedy's first to combat rats before you consider going the chemical route. Your hounds know there are unwanted visitors in the coo, especially now they've seen one there, so they will be very alert to catching them. Good luck.