RATS!!

[Dharmachick]

I hate rats! I've lived on farms a good part of my life, and now have 1/2 acre in a rural town with gardens and chickens. I put rat bait out under the mini barn where the chickens can't go every 4 months, but the *!(%^%& rats just moved to under my deck. I put rat bait under there and closed off the openings, but they are still getting most of my eggs. They get into the coop through the chicken door, the rotten things, and I'm fearful for my broody. I looked for holes under the coop, but found none. I have 4 blue eggs layers and haven't had a blue eggs in weeks, even though I see them laying. I've tried electric rat traps too. What else?

 

[Kiki]

I hate rats!
Hardware cloth the crap out of the coop.

Maybe a bb gun war is needed?

 

[HuskerHens18]

I don't like bait anymore as it's risky to other animals, I used to use it like crazy.
When I had rats, I stuck steel wool in every nook and cranny I found. I read online they might try to eat it, but the steel will shred their insides and they'll die fairly soon after. It worked like a charm. 1 year later, still no rats!

Since you said they get in through the chicken door, what if you tried one of those 5 gallon bucket traps? The one where you put a treat hanging in the middle and when they go to eat it, they fall in and get stuck... let me see if I can find ACTUAL instructions how to make one

 

[HuskerHens18]

There's several different ways, I kind of like this one https://www.facebook.com/855427094642406/posts/863020787216370/


EDIT TO ADD: I would use peanut butter between the two cans on the wire. That would've gone a lot faster than whatever this guy used.

 

[IamRainey]

I hate them too!

I planted 6 tomato plants this Spring. So far I've had a handful of tomatoes from just 2 plants. The others get chewed by the rats as soon as a tomato goes from bright green to pale yellow. And, of course, they eat one side of each one before they move on to the next one so I reach in to pick what I think is a whole tomato only to find it half eaten...

Happily, we dug our hardware cloth well into the ground so they haven't been able to get into the coop. But I still HATE rats!!!

 

[kwhites634]

I hate rats!
Hardware cloth the crap out of the coop.

Maybe a bb gun war is needed?

Phooey! .177 pellet gun. You want to kill 'em, not make love to 'em.

 

[Backyard Bruce]

Phooey! .177 pellet gun. You want to kill 'em, not make love to 'em.

Phooey!!!! .22 pellet gun. You want to kill 'em, not make love to 'em.

 

[kwhites634]

Phooey!!!! .22 pellet gun. You want to kill 'em, not make love to 'em.

That, too

 

[Dharmachick]

I was thinking of a .22 pellet gun, but I almost never see them. The first time I had them, I ripped up the old floor and put in a new and better one. There are no breeches there. They only come in from the open chicken door. I haven't seen any more holes since I put out the bait under the deck. I think that will be the end for a few months. At least I hope so, I have 19 chicks and 22 eggs in the bator and under my broody. She's enough to scare the stripes off a tiger though. I always say, "Good morning, Doris", and she says,"Shreeeeeeeiiiiiiiik!" This is from 10 feet away.

 

[Folly's place]

Chicks and chickens are helpless at night, and I lost birds to a rat invasion last year. Horrible!
Howard E has some old videos on his site about rat elimination, very helpful. only bait will get them all!
Carefully placed, in bait stations only accessible to rodents, and changed out every week or two. Most of the rats will return to their burrows and die there; not so good in the house, not so bad underground.
A smaller terrier will do well, and that's what ferrets were domesticated (sorta) for, but bait is the best plan. ZERO tolerance!
Mary