Rats

[dianeb423]

Can you ever really get rid of them? I just started to see them at dusk and I'm taking in feed and water. This is so gross and I'm concerned for their safety and my families as they bring disease. Is this normal when you have chickens. I've only had mine a year and this is a first for me

 

[megkra]

I didn't read all the replies in detail but a few years back I quickly had a big problem and after tearing up some of the walls in our garage ( where they were nesting..) I discovered it wasn't chicken feed they were eating it was the poop. Tons of it in our walls, it was terrible. I got rid of the chickens (coop was kinda in the garage)and used just one bite poison and locked up the garage for 2 weeks and it was swarming with those maggot flies. It was terrible, had to redo the insulation and drywall. Then after I bought the poison lock boxes and placed them around and happily 2 years later not a rodent around, not even a mouse. Now I have chickens again but but in a portable coop, I'm wiser and can spot a rat dropping (before I was in denial) I'll make sure it doesn't happen again because once they start breeding its out of control fast! I survived it and you will too, hang in there!

 

[Big Bubba]

I thought the rats were the end of me and chickens. It got bad, real bad. But, when you start making sure there is no way they can get the feed they go away pretty quickly. Every day now I do a check to make sure they aren't there.

Hang in there. Just make sure you are doing everything right and the situation will be resolved.

 

[mimsy]

They are pretty heavy in our neighborhood. At dusk if I'm outside I sometimes see them coming down out of trees and onto the fences.

All my chicken feed, parrot pellets and wild bird feed I mix with a heavy amount of cayenne pepper. The rats hate it and so do the ants. Birds don't have the receptor to feel the heat like the rest of us do, so they don't care about it. All food is kept in sealed containers, for both human and animals. The dogs are fed on a schedule so is no food ever laying around except for the birds.

Both your house and out buildings should be looked over well and make sure there is no way in. Check around the base of all buildings to make sure there are no holes where they might be burrowing under things. Lots of low bushes near buildings is very inviting to rodents, so I would keep all plants trimmed up off the ground a ways, and none up against the house.

 

[DreamsInPink]

Ugh, all this rat talk makes me so nervous. I don't even have chickens in my not yet finished coop yet, but I worry. A lot. :/

I live out in the country and I know my neighbor had a terrible rat problem a few years back. I don't know if they still do, but I don't want them coming knocking on my coop door.

What are the best ways to prevent them?

 

[tinalupan]

I usually start spreading cayenne pepper powder on all my areas, won't harm the chickens. With water, it helps the chickens from parasites... Then start spreading the cube type poison from Canadian Tire or Home Depot. The chickens won't eat these. Better still get the ones that are used by the Exterminator if you have any friend from this enterprise. These are the brick type, rats loved them, when they eat or take a bite and go under the burrow they need to surface for air and die. Also use peppermint oil, strong odor but won't harm your chickens. I also use potted meat that you buy from the grocery store, mix it with GLYCOL and leave inside one of the empty cages LOCKED. This is harmful to your chickens. Let the rats feed on it, you won't see anymore activity. They will be skittish taking the risk of going to feed on your chickens' meal. GOOD LUCK.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Ugh, all this rat talk makes me so nervous. I don't even have chickens in my not yet finished coop yet, but I worry. A lot.

I live out in the country and I know my neighbor had a terrible rat problem a few years back. I don't know if they still do, but I don't want them coming knocking on my coop door.

What are the best ways to prevent them?

Tamper proof bait stations and chunx style poison. If you are not infested now you wont use much poison at all. I have two stations and for general maintenance use 2 to three blocks per station. I check them every few months. Had 6 months go by and changed them out as they were getting old and stale. Other times of the year all the bait will be eaten in 2 months. You really don't need much. If an infestation you'll be restocking the boxes several times and filling each pin, 4-5 blocks per station.

I keep the tamper proof box right in the run unless there are chicks in there. Have excellent results with Tomcat with Bromethalin green chunx. I don't recommend the small plastic bait stations they offer, look for the exterior tamper proof box-eBay has them cheap and 4lbs pails of chunx.

Two stations with one key:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Protecta-LP...887801?hash=item3f25e7cc79:g:4g8AAMXQ56ZSAAh4

4lbs Tomcat with bromethalin (it cost more than bromiadiolone tomcat but believe it attracts better):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MOTOMCO-Tom...819175?hash=item35fd698ae7:g:14MAAOSwCypWoZib

 

[ridingtailboard]

Watching and learning. Cayenne pepper is on my shopping list now.

Thanks

 

[Nous Defions]

Sounds like you need a chicken-friendly rat terrier, too bad they don't exist!

 

[Birdydeb]

I've never been unlucky enough to have a rat problem. Though several years ago a farming neighbor tore down an old barn at least a quarter mile from us. I wasn't present when it was torn down but another neighbor who was said tons of rats ran in every direction as it came down. I ended up having to deal with a few and I think in the end we killed three by using poison. Same thing about 5 years ago while we were still in the city...a neighbor tore down an old shed and I was told that as it came down the rats and mice ran in every direction. I prepared for the onslaught but in the end only had to deal with a few mice which were quickly taken care of. I did have to deal with a mouse infestation one time that nearly sent me around the bend. Said all of that to say, my experience is that if they have somewhere to nest undisturbed and a free source of food....there is going to be a problem. At the first sign of a rat or mouse....NO MERCY. Trapping and releasing live rodents to me is pure foolishness. I was doing that at the beginning of our mouse problem and quickly learned how foolish that was. You have to be as relentless as they are and pull out every "big gun" you have. All of our dog food is in air tight closed containers and our chicken feed will be also. Because of the dogs I have to use caution with poison as they may try o catch escaping rodents. I almost poisoned our Boxer doing that a few years ago. Now back out in the country and setting up a chicken coop/pen I look around at all of my neighbors old buildings and wonder how many rats are hiding. I intend to be on the alert and make sure they have no access to free food. May be easier said than done and it makes me somewhat nervous but at the first sign I will have no mercy and will be looking for where they could be bedding and what they think is their free meal. Lots of good advice from previous posters. Thanks all. Finding out they will nest inside walls is a bit alarming to me but then that is probably pretty logical so I will keep that in mind.