Rooster rat question

[Big-momma]

I used an air rifle and did in my rats during the summer, they were eating birdseed on the ground and living in my stacked wood. Just can’t have them around the house or birds

 

[Project Blue]

There are plenty of roos that will attack a predator but not a person. I wouldn't breed the violent ones, but then we hold attacks very seriously here.

Just curious. I've had roosters flog my leg before without injury and never fear being attacked. However, I almost always have denim pants on. I've also seen chickens hurt each other but what can they do to people? The roos I breed usually don't have much in the way of spurs. I also bred for low crowers and small combs, so I might of been breeding out masculine traits. After a pitbull wiped out my flock I'm trying to recreate it with a couple of eggs that were left and borrowed eggs from someone I gave hens and roo to, but she also had other chickens so I had no way to tell which hen the eggs came from. The roo was a dark cull, as I was breeding dilute, but a full brother to my best roo. For over a decade I never had a mean rooster. They all crowed very late and then rarely. This generation crows about 3/4 grown and to my surprise are much more aggressive. I think you're right about culling the meanies, but it's tempting to keep them to deal with rats and I really have to start somewhere recreating my project chickens. In the past I was selecting the reluctant crowers for backyard chickens as I think that's the main problem with owning suburban chickens. I also don't like combs. So now I'm going for pinkish red pyle Ameraucana type chickens, sex linked, bigger blue eggs and a chicken that also weighs more than the standard chicken. Since I'm very early in this new project I think I will breed against aggression and just deal with the rats another way.

 

[Project Blue]

Oh my gosh, that's a lot of wildlife! We use 5-gallon buckets, half fill with water, then completely coat the surface in sunflower seeds. We also put a piece of wiring shelving over the top, weighed down with a large rock. Rodents can go in, but squirrels (or anything larger) cannot. The only thing that's managed to tip it is a bear!

I've given up on Havahearts because of the same issue: I catch everything EXCPET what I want to catch!

I think I'll try your method. I was thinking of building a wire cage around the buckets to keep the raccoons out, but that's a lot of work. People have loose dogs where I live and of course coyotes. Hopefully they won't be interested in sunflower seeds. Peanuts attracted everybody

 

[thecatumbrella]

I think I'll try your method. I was thinking of building a wire cage around the buckets to keep the raccoons out, but that's a lot of work. People have loose dogs where I live and of course coyotes. Hopefully they won't be interested in sunflower seeds. Peanuts attracted everybody

Just beware that I had one instance (over 8 years) where a songbird got in and couldn't get itself out. I felt absolutely horrible and have been trying to think of a way to avoid it. Covering the buckets during the day would work, but then that can form condensation on the seeds (which causes the rodents to reject them).

It's a bit of a sloppy solution.

 

[Project Blue]

I used an air rifle and did in my rats during the summer, they were eating birdseed on the ground and living in my stacked wood. Just can’t have them around the house or birds

I don't seem to be able to spot the rats moving around. The only times I've seen them in daylight is when I moved a big nest box and some young ones were underneath. They beat feet out of sight before I could react. One time I heard babies squeaking and made a big effort to find them and couldn't it was eerie because I could pin point them right at a nest box. Later cleaning I found the nest under a metal plate. There was a narrow gap between the plate and the wood underneath. Smaller area than you'd image a rat could nest in, but there it was. You must have eagle eyes and be a great shot to get rats.