Rats

[Chirpchirp19]

I have been dealing with rats for months now. The last week they have killed 2 full size laying hens. Dragged them as far down the hole they can go.

I have tried the ratinator, the bucket trap method and the ratx corn mix poison stuff that is safe for livestock.

I am literally surrounded by fields. My food is kept in metal bins and food is brought up at night. Hens roost about 4-6 ft up every night.

I don’t know what else to do. I’ve been out there with the .22 during the warmer months. My mom keeps suggesting bait stations but I am worried about something getting the poisoned rat.

I am at a loss right now and really need advice. Thanks for any and all tips.

 

[swamphiker]

Oh wow, I'm sorry you are dealing with such severe rat issues! For rats that determined, I think the only way is to ensure they can't get into your coop. Do you know how/where they have been getting in?

 

[Chirpchirp19]

Oh wow, I'm sorry you are dealing with such severe rat issues! For rats that determined, I think the only way is to ensure they can't get into your coop. Do you know how/where they have been getting in?

They are burrowing under, we put down hard wear cloth the beginning of the summer and still having problems. I just was pondering around and just bought a pack of 2 bait stations and bait and will re-work my game plan. I just can’t lose anymore of my girls

 

[swamphiker]

They are burrowing under, we put down hard wear cloth the beginning of the summer and still having problems. I just was pondering around and just bought a pack of 2 bait stations and bait and will re-work my game plan. I just can’t lose anymore of my girls

You likely need to go back and reinforce the hardware cloth, even rats shouldn't be able to chew through that; they must be finding a hole somewhere.

I understand the desperation that has led you to buy bait stations, but aside from killing wildlife that eat the rats, they are probably only a short-term solution. Once you kill some rats, more will surely come from the nearby fields to take their place.

No easy answers, though!

 

[Miami Leghorn]

I friggin hate rats

 

[Al Gerhart]

The rats aren't coming for the chickens, they are coming for the chicken feed buffet. Bringing the feed in at night just means they fill up during the day and when they get the munchies at night they are going after the birds.

Rather than retyping the same info over and over again I like to remind people that this is a reoccurring problem, eventually poor sanitation and poor feeders lead to wild bird and rat/mice problems.

Do a forum search for Howard E., who in my opinion, is the best rodent expert on the forum. I copied and pasted one of his replies from several years back that has the meat of the solution for you. People tend to run one of two ways, willing to invest in an expensive feeder or willing to fight a battle with rodents and find another way. Only you can say which you have more of; time or money.

Here is Howard E.'s past post and some more info below:

"To the OP (and others like them), if you will spend the time, everything you need to know about rats and how to get ride of them will be found in the links below......

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rat-control-the-video-series.1337456/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rat-control-101.1283827/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rat-proof-feeder-review.1180514/#post-18610285


This last one is a review of a rat proof chicken feeder built and sold by a BYC member, who is a staunch advocate for the plan of getting rid of rats by starving them out. Remove all sources of feed and they will be forced to move on or starve to death. If you are firmly against the use of poison bait blocks......for whatever reason.......then this is one of the best actions you can take. Bulk food in metal trash cans.....chicken feed in metal rat proof feeders. Can't get to the feed and birds do not spill and waste feed that the rats can survive on."


And the short version of Howard's three posts? Sanitation, exclusion, elimination.

Sanitation, bulk feed in metal cans or barrels with tight fitting lids, a treadle feeder, clean up the avenues of movement so the rodents have no cover to protect them from their natural predators. In my opinion and experience this is the quickest, surest, and cheapest way to solve a rodent problem.

Exclusion, plugging the holes and building a Fort Knox chicken coop and not leaving an opening for free range. Tough to do and expensive but it could work for rats.

Elimination, poison and traps. Problem is that rats are smart and will quickly learn to avoid both traps and poison bait. Were you to clean them out, the lack of sanitation would mean a new population of rodents would move right in. And there is risk and no end to the process, keeping fresh bait out. However, if you have done your sanitation using poison becomes effective as the rats are starving and will likely try the poison bait. Not needed though, they will leave in a few days as long as you are not feeding the rodents with a compost pile or other animal feed. Not all will leave, your area will have a natural carrying capacity for rodents, natural feed, but that natural ability to sustain rodents is quite small and the natural predators keep them in check and under cover as the rodents hustle to find this natural food.

Do a forum search on "rats chickens" and you will find most of the old wives tales exposed and read of long epic battles against the rodents. Sanitation, exclusion, or elimination all have associated costs but you are already paying for the feed and will recover the initial costs quickly with the first method.

Good luck and remember, it isn't just the stolen feed, disease and predators come with rodents.

 

[cmom]

I tried about everything when one of my coops was infested but I have a lot of coops and birds, (some of the coops are my avatar). I finally resorted to using poison. I put the poison in rat bait stations and the bait stations in a pet carrier so nothing but the rats could get to the bait and put the pet carries on shelves in the barn which is behind the coops. There were tunnels around the coops and barn and since I didn't find any dead rats so I assume they went into their tunnels and died. Good luck...

 

[vtbird]

What kind of poison do folks find most effective, humane-kills quickly, and lowest risk? What is the chemical make-up? There is a lot out there. I do not have a huge infestation, but I am trying to avoid that from happening. The snap traps are said to be most effective, and as for killing unassuming chipmunks, that the resident rat has then proceeded to eat right from the trap, and also the trap snapping on the rat's tail and paw, then it getting away, they have not proven effective.

I did find a good tip on the snap traps though if anyone is interested. Since the rats are used to eating the spilled chicken feed around the chicken run and scratch then the best bait to use for those traps is the chicken feed and scratch or whatever food source they have available to them as opposed to peanut butter Etc. Since setting the traps this winter when I first noticed the rat they didn't go near it when I had peanut butter and jerky in the traps . The first night I tried just plain old chicken feed boom I caught the rat, however the Trap snapped only on its paw and as soon as I went out to take care of it the rat freed itself . One person gave the idea to use a hot glue gun to glue the feed/scratch to the trap so they need to use some effort to try to get it.

I really do not want to use poison but I want to nip this in the bud quickly as I only ever see this one particular rat around the coop. So I'm interested in folks opinions on the various types of rat poison.

 

[Acre4Me]

Do a search for @Howard E posts. Many informative ones on eradicating rats.

 

[allenw]

What kind of poison do folks find most effective, humane-kills quickly, and lowest risk? What is the chemical make-up? There is a lot out there. I do not have a huge infestation, but I am trying to avoid that from happening. The snap traps are said to be most effective, and as for killing unassuming chipmunks, that the resident rat has then proceeded to eat right from the trap, and also the trap snapping on the rat's tail and paw, then it getting away, they have not proven effective.

I did find a good tip on the snap traps though if anyone is interested. Since the rats are used to eating the spilled chicken feed around the chicken run and scratch then the best bait to use for those traps is the chicken feed and scratch or whatever food source they have available to them as opposed to peanut butter Etc. Since setting the traps this winter when I first noticed the rat they didn't go near it when I had peanut butter and jerky in the traps . The first night I tried just plain old chicken feed boom I caught the rat, however the Trap snapped only on its paw and as soon as I went out to take care of it the rat freed itself . One person gave the idea to use a hot glue gun to glue the feed/scratch to the trap so they need to use some effort to try to get it.

I really do not want to use poison but I want to nip this in the bud quickly as I only ever see this one particular rat around the coop. So I'm interested in folks opinions on the various types of rat poison.

Your having a lot of trouble with your snap traps, how are you seting them?

I've had good luck with small cage traps.