Rats

[MrDeMaistre]

No way to stop birds from tossing grain all over the runs.
BTW, we are full fenced and mostly netted from the top. Rats barrow under.
We hide feeders for the night. But what's tossed is tossed. I'm only worried about babies.

I'll get rat terrier when I retire. Then I can take care of the dog. I don't really have time now, out at 7 back at 7 and DW won't do it. And I'm responsible.

My mother's dauschund was a pretty efficient rat catcher, and she loved her work, but she wouldn't have been too happy bunking in with the chickens year-'round, so we have gone the poison route.

 

[ukrkoz]

Thanks to all for suggestions. Will try mixes. Got all ingredients.
There's also slow change in DW attitude. She has large veggies garden next to chicken farm and Mr Mole raveges there. I told her -rat terrier. Pause was longer this time. So it's turning.
I would get a dog as far as it's attended day time. On 6 acres he'd have plenty exercise and hunting. I need moles gone anyway not just rats. Kill my mower.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Then look for a Decker Rat Terrier.

They are bred for work. A good line will give you a nice tempered dog who wants to work.

I've got a generic rattie who loves to sofa surf as much as hunt rats when I'm out at the coop.

A well tempered RT is a good pet and a good hunter.

 

[ukrkoz]

That's dandy, but question do have I. As we have moles and rats and not really telling which ones are worse menace.
Hunting moles, how much damage will a rat terrier do to the garden beds? As they are diggers, right? We have literally hundreds of yards of mole tunnels raised in garden beds and if he goes through THAT...
I can do executive decision and simply show with dog one day. But if it will do more dmage to garden than moles, then my neck is on chopping block. And I am trying to survive to retirement, not to make it worse.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I've not used my Rattie for moles, as we don't really have any, so I can't personally address that. He does go after rats, which I allow him to do when I'm out at the coop. The rest of the time, he is curled up on a blanket in the house or following me to lay at my feet.

I can imagine any dog going after a mole would dig and do damage to a garden. It couldn't help but.

The thing to do would be to talk to some experienced people who use their RTs for work and family. The temperament of the RT line makes a big difference as does handling of the dog. I'll link a group in my area that hire out their Rat Terriers to rid vermin from farms and you can ask them your question.
http://themongrolhoard.com/index.php/blog/

and one family that raises Decker line of RT's that are not quite as intense but good for family and farm:
https://www.facebook.com/pittsfamilyratterriers/

Remember, not all dogs exhibit the characteristics of their breed, and any dog needs proper training. Also, everyone in the family should be supportive to make that work the best. (I suspicion if you get a sweet Rattie who follows your wife around and endears himself to her, then goes and chases some varmints with you, she may find it quite pleasant).

Ratties are easy keepers as in they don't eat tons and their coat care is a breeze. While loving a good nap in a blanket, depending on what you get, they will need daily mental and physical exercise. There isn't a bored RT as they will find something to do. They were the original American farm dog.

LofMc

 

[critterlady23]

Hey yall. I have been off here for a while... I had given up on my yard birds of several breeds.... I am recently trying again.... my problem is huge field rats keep eating my flocks.... especially my quail... is there anything I can do to get rid of the rats that have over ran my small diy homestead? I have tried poisoning and traps!

 

[pamonarch]

Oh yes they do return....we joke in our neighborhood that all you have to do is worry them enough so they go to the neighbor's....but alas in time...THEY'RE Baaaack.

Here are the best chicken friendly line of defenses:
1. Pick up all feed at night. Store in metal containers. ETA: or use some sort of rat proof feeder, but I can't personally attest see posts above. I have put orange 5 gallon buckets over metal feeders sitting on the ground, and that has kept them out of the feed...until they start chewing holes in the bucket...which you replace.

2. Remove any overgrowth or wood piles that allow them to hide...generally they don't like open pathway, so have plain ground surrounding your coops. ETA: that's harder when the neighbor's have overgrowth and you live by open field/wetlands.

3. Have raised coops with solid structure, especially for chicks.

As chickens still scatter feed, which honestly gets to be impossible to gather every crumb, you'll still get some rats....especially as they start to come out in the daytime to eat chicken feed. (Oh yup, they do). For those you set traps or use poison. As rats get trap savvy pretty quickly, at some point you go to poison.

The Tom Cat bromethelain type poison is repeat eating that thins the blood. It is less dangerous than the first bite neural toxins (which usually have to be gotten through a pest control). It also has very little secondary poisoning if an animal (say your dog) eats a rat that has died from that poison. (Unlike other first bite poisons).

ETA: I've also tried a home-made remedy of plaster paris mixed with bird seed. Make a mash like mashed potatoes and form little soft balls. Leave out for the rats to eat. It clogs their systems as it dries. (Horrible death I'm sure, but sometimes it's a war out there.) That has reduced numbers, and if you mix a lot of bird seed, they seem to eat it. Place where birds can't get to it, but it would take a lot of those balls to clog up a bird or dog.

Beyond that you can get creative....my son and husband plunk rats with a pellet rifle (no one write me nasty responses...we are drowning in rats at times here).

I also got a sweet Rat Terrier from a rescue...he's started a wall with his notches.

And we've had owls and kestrels hunt...however those can also be hard on your birds.

Good luck with your battle. You win a few skirmishes, but with a lot of field and forage around you, especially if the neighbors aren't as careful, chances are you can only thin the population for awhile.

LofMc

I have read that poppy seeds will kill rats and mice but wont harm chickens if they happen to eat some...any take on this? I have something that is burrowing under the coop to get inside..hasnt seemed to bother my chickens though..and i dont see any rat pooh...i am going to set up a camera today to see what it is thats getting in there.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I have read that poppy seeds will kill rats and mice but wont harm chickens if they happen to eat some...any take on this? I have something that is burrowing under the coop to get inside..hasnt seemed to bother my chickens though..and i dont see any rat pooh...i am going to set up a camera today to see what it is thats getting in there.

While pet rats shouldn't be fed poppy seeds, and lab studies show it is highly toxic, I doubt you could get a wild rat to eat enough of them to do harm.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2617838

I don't see poppy listed in one of the known toxins for chickens, but the lists I've looked at are compilations, so I've really no real knowledge on that.

LofMc