Rodents nest in my hen house

[LolaLovesHens]

After 30 years of keeping hens with no problems, this year I've got a rodent infestation. They took up residence in my greenhouse and garden shed. They are now in the hen house.

I've done tons of reading about what attracts rodents; rodent free chicken feeders; rodent deterrents, etc., etc.

I'm posting here in the hope that others' experiences could prove helpful. I don't want to surrender my hens but am almost to that point in time.

I've contracted with exterminators who assure me that their "safe" product will eliminate the rats while safeguarding my pets and the wildlife.

Am very open to any help I can get.

 

[Rock17]

Dried Mint

 

[Rock17]

Cats

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I'm sorry you are having rodent problems.

I have struggled with rodents for 15 years of owning chickens. They are simply prolific in my area. I've joked that all you have to do is worry them enough to go to the neighbors for a bit. Then they worry them back to you.

I've tried almost everything. I second getting barn cats. They can do a good job. I got a rat terrier who only hunts when I am out with him. He's killed 30 over the last 10 years I've had him.

I've tried all the "green, friendly" solutions...and none of those worked for me. I've tried traps (they get used to them). The only thing that works is poison. If you get the 2nd generation blood thinner (cumin type), it takes more than one ingestion to do the trick which is safer for pets. You want to stay away from the 1st generation poisons which are neurotoxins. Those are the kind that kill predators that prey upon the sick rodents. Pets getting into either can get sick, but the blood thinner does have an antidote (vitamin K).

There is a new poison type supposedly pet friendly, but the
Amazon reviews are very mixed. Many say it doesn't work.

If you can afford exterminators, that would be the way to go. You will have to remove the rat nest and block the access to prevent more. And of course remove food overnight; however, the rats around me simply came out during the day and fed out of the chicken feeders.

Good luck.

LofMc

 

[Al Gerhart]

After 30 years of keeping hens with no problems, this year I've got a rodent infestation. They took up residence in my greenhouse and garden shed. They are now in the hen house.

I've done tons of reading about what attracts rodents; rodent free chicken feeders; rodent deterrents, etc., etc.

I'm posting here in the hope that others' experiences could prove helpful. I don't want to surrender my hens but am almost to that point in time.

I've contracted with exterminators who assure me that their "safe" product will eliminate the rats while safeguarding my pets and the wildlife.

Am very open to any help I can get.

And it will keep them in business because assuming their product works, the rodents will quickly learn to avoid the poison, but even if they are starving and the poison is the only available "food", once wiped out a new population will find the empty territory and recolonize your coop.

If you are looking for a solution it is very, very, simple.

Stop feeding the rats and they will leave.

You are jumping directly to the third leg of rodent control, elimination. Sanitation is first, then exclusion, then elimination.

Sanitation, bulk feed in metal drums with tight lids, a proper treadle feeder that is actually rat proof, most are not, check the negative reviews very carefully and believe the, then cleaning up the paths to and from the rodents food source, water source, and where they live. The idea is to deny them the food and force them out into the open where natural predators like raptors, snakes, and mammals can thin their ranks. Most territories have a limited amount of natural food available, rodents thrive where humans mess things up. You might spend $200 doing this unless you have a neighbor violating city codes. Bonus, the elimination of the food source starves the rodents in days, they will eat the poison bait out of desperation, and they will be forced out into the open during daylight to find new food sources and natural predators, even dogs will kill them rapidly. The bigger the colony, the faster it collapses. The adults will kill their babies first trying to survive.

Exclusion is the second least expensive form of control it is probably an order of magnitude, 10 x, the sanitation method. Fort Knox coop basically, no free range either. Hardware cloth, no opening over the size of a dime's diameter. DYI this, might cost you $1000 for the materials if it is a small coop but it will work.

Elimination, poison and traps. Initially effective until the rodents learn of the dangers of the bait and traps. Never completely eliminates the rodents, never really ends as new rodents move in or are bred and raised. It can take some down but never will you be free or rodents without constant expense and work. Kind of like a cure for cancer, that will never be allowed to be developed because treating cancer is more profitable than preventing or curing cancer. Over the years you will probably spend as much or more than the exclusion method or you will just learn to live with the rodents and wild birds and pay far more in stolen feed and the constant supply of disease and pests like lice.

Search for Howard E.'s posts on rodent control and for treadle feeders on this forum and on the feeding forum. This topic has been beaten to death a hundred times over so you will find a huge amount of discussion on the topic.
Good luck.

 

[Al Gerhart]

I'm sorry you are having rodent problems.

I have struggled with rodents for 15 years of owning chickens. They are simply prolific in my area. I've joked that all you have to do is worry them enough to go to the neighbors for a bit. Then they worry them back to you.

I've tried almost everything. I second getting barn cats. They can do a good job. I got a rat terrier who only hunts when I am out with him. He's killed 30 over the last 10 years I've had him.

I've tried all the "green, friendly" solutions...and none of those worked for me. I've tried traps (they get used to them). The only thing that works is poison. If you get the 2nd generation blood thinner (cumin type), it takes more than one ingestion to do the trick which is safer for pets. You want to stay away from the 1st generation poisons which are neurotoxins. Those are the kind that kill predators that prey upon the sick rodents. Pets getting into either can get sick, but the blood thinner does have an antidote (vitamin K).

There is a new poison type supposedly pet friendly, but the
Amazon reviews are very mixed. Many say it doesn't work.

If you can afford exterminators, that would be the way to go. You will have to remove the rat nest and block the access to prevent more. And of course remove food overnight; however, the rats around me simply came out during the day and fed out of the chicken feeders.

Good luck.

LofMc

Excellent post.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I agree 100% with @Al Gerhart . You have to clear all brush and cover for rodents around your coops to rid hiding and nest places for them.

It forces them to come into the open exposure to get to the coops. If you have predators (cats and hawks), they will begin to pick them off. They'll also begin to pick off your chickens too, so it's best to get rid of the rats before they draw other predators.

I'm in a generally low predator area, old farm with suburban overgrowth, and my bold suburban rats will meander across the lawn fat and sassy.

You will need to keep changing up poisons as they do get used to one kind. But keeping up the feed, removing brush, and setting poisons has been what has kept the population down (not gone).

Al, could you post the kind of treadle feeder you use? I often have broody hens with chicks at my feeders, so I haven't found one that the chicks could work too.

LofMc

 

[FrostRanger]

I also agree with making friends with the local feline population. If there are no cats around, perhaps talk to your local animal shelter about them releasing some ferals around your property. We had some rats around here last year but since I've started feeding the local strays I haven't seen even one in my yard. Plus, I get to hang out with kitties when I free range the girls (the cats here don't bother my birds. You'd have to watch out if you have chicks though). Win-win

 

[SandyRiverChick]

I can tell you that denial and trying to find a silver bullet cure where you don't have to follow the important steps listed in Howard E.'s whitepaper will not work. Not mint, not just one of the steps, you have to do a full on Project. I even debated with Al G in the past because I just didn't want to read Howard's long post, lol. I think I've admitted to him that he was right, hope so... Because once I did read it and I did implement everything including my own additional control plan (feral cats and barking dogs.) I solved the problem of rodents for good. First and foremost, I store feed in galvanized garbage can's every night and I make sure to have a spill free feeder(s.) If ever there is a random spill, I clean it up. Zero food for rodents is #1. I had already taken out a majority of the population that existed on my property when I bought it, with Just One Bite. I had to do that because it wasn't just about my chicken coop, they ate all of wiring and nested in a hot tub and killed my truck twice. I found a dead family of deer mice in the truck but we also had rats. My coop is insulated which most people do not do. However, it's like a house build, it's foam core, solid and they can't get in the walls, no chance of that. So with no food and no place to make a nest in coop, I don't have a problem, haven't for a very long time. One of my feral cat houses is close to the truck and hot tub and I find it fascinating that due to one cat, there has been nothing. Anyhow, just do put the time into the read: Howard E.'s.... GOOD LUCK, fingers crossed for your success.

 

[Penpal]

I have uses peppermint essential oil with water. Mix it up and spray. First remove the nest, then spray a little where the nest was. Spray in the center the greenhouse and the center of the shed. This should get them moving out.

A day or two later spray the outside perimeter of each building at ground level.

From that you can move onto clearing the plant life under the bushes.

Make a bucket trap. you can find directions on YouTube.com The trap will tell you if they have left.