RATS!!!!!

[Chullicken]

Spilt food and feed storage is a big inhibitor as mentioned. Take away the source and access, think you'll see them go some place else like your neighbors house.

 

[Harestad Farm]

You have a tall barrel (garbage cans work great) with a few inches of feed in the bottom--exactly what you're used to feeding your chickens, and what the rats are used to eating. You give it an easy access route--put it near a wall so they can climb the wall, or set a board against it so they can climb up onto the board. They climb up and then down into get the feed and can't get out.

This works best if they're used to seeing the feed barrel and it looks like you've just accidentally left the lid off today. Rats are really smart, and they approach new things with caution. We have a shed in which we keep all our feed in barrels, and so this setup works really well for us. If you'd just randomly add a barrel to your setup, I don't know how well it would work, but it's worth a try--chickens certainly aren't in danger from it.

Seriously, I'd see if you have friends with some reliable dogs that can be called back. My dogs love rat-hunting and pounce and kill immediately when I have one cornered.
Your huskies might even be good--rats'll come out slightly drugged by the gasses from the engine, so they probably won't be that quick at running. And huskies are really fast.

Cats are good with chickens, and with chicks if they're raised around them. My cats (Sauron and Merry) don't give the chickens a second look. A lot of kittens do need to be trained to catch and eat mice. It's best if you get a cat that was already a barn cat and don't make a house cat of him--maybe he can come inside, but his job's outside. A plus if he's used to chickens. Check your local classifieds.

excellent !! thanks. yes i was trying to imagine the barrel way more complex than that.. fact i have a barrel already out there empty ready to go.. how about a stray cat??? so my mother-in-laws neighbor moved and left their cats behind like 2 years ago , so theyve been living in the bushes by the house ever since and my mother inlaw has been feeding them. I was thinking I could relocate them to my property, feed them and give them a little cat home next to the coop area. I was just affraid of the cats going after the chickens...

 

[sylviethecochin]

Take the cats and see how they do. With a thriving rat population and some feed, they shouldn't bother going after hens--hens are fierce and large. I've never seen a cat chase a hen.

Which, of course, doesn't mean that they can't or won't, just that I haven't seen one do it. I won't pretend I've seen everything. I'd keep and eye on them for a day or so--but I'm optimistic.

 

[Folly's place]

Most but not all cats won't tackle an adult chicken, but little chicks would be at risk without a mama hen. My barn cats have been great with mice, but let me know that big rats are MY problem! I would only bring 'street wise' cats home to live outside, so your family's cats would be perfect. A trip to the veterinarian's for testing, vaccines, and neutering if needed, and go for it!
Some shelters and humane societies have 'barn cats' available, already with some workup already done. Sometimes free, too.
Mary

 

[sylviethecochin]

Most but not all cats won't tackle an adult chicken, but little chicks would be at risk without a mama hen. My barn cats have been great with mice, but let me know that big rats are MY problem! I would only bring 'street wise' cats home to live outside, so your family's cats would be perfect. A trip to the veterinarian's for testing, vaccines, and neutering if needed, and go for it!
Some shelters and humane societies have 'barn cats' available, already with some workup already done. Sometimes free, too.
Mary

Mine won't tackle big rats either, but I'd hope they'd eliminate the juvenile rats, at the very least. We used to have one cat that would kill rats up to eight inches long. Unfortunately, he was neutered, so we don't have any of his offspring. He passed away five years ago at the age of twelve. RIP, Fluffy.

 

[Folly's place]

If he was still a tomcat, he'd be too busy 'catting around' to be a good hunter! And have too many cat fight abcesses, and generally not be very effective at anything else.
Mary

 

[sylviethecochin]

If he was still a tomcat, he'd be too busy 'catting around' to be a good hunter! And have too many cat fight abcesses, and generally not be very effective at anything else.
Mary

Can't compare on the hunting, having no before and after, though that explains why he was such a good one. He did fight with everything despite being neutered. Had half an ear, a torn front toe and a big scar running across his eye like Uncle Scar from "The Lion King" when he died. Some of that might have been from his chosen prey, but the neighbor's cats weren't welcome and they knew it.

 

[Folly's place]

He was guarding his turf, and not wandering around looking for the ladies!
Mary

 

[Shawn's_momma]

I've got two that make fun of me. They go around a peanut butter trap and a cheese trap and even move them slightly to dig under the wire buried just to get a few grains the girls have left before they go to roost..

I use the chicken feed as bait

 

[Al Gerhart]

First thing is get a good all metal rat proof chicken feeder and follow the instructions. Spring loaded door and a counterweight are a must and no plastic! 90% of the time once the free buffet is gone the rats are gone too. Then the rat bait is also 10 times more effective once the rats are starving. Forget about trying to fence the rats out, ain't happening and it is expensive. Just get the food out of the equation and the rats will leave.