The most horrific thing I have ever witnessed

[Cackling Hen]

It's so horrible I can barely type it. In 15 years of raising I have never worried to much about this predator.the family was inside about 11 pm we were watching tv we heard the chickens screaming there scared voice hubby jumps up runs to the coop . I had to throw boots on I was 1 min behind him . I run to the coop all my semeras roost in the window. I have 5 3 month old in there my smallest girl is upside down in a little hole . Hubby is tugging gently on her by the feet and he has a look in his face I scream don't pull to hard she is stuck!!!! He looks at me and says oh no he pulls a little harder and I scream omg its a rat! This rat has my little sweet girl and is pulling her down into the hole hubby says grab me something I see a 2x2 he takes it and smacks the rat on the head . My poor girls neck is eaten away I never have seen felt so horrible in all my life the rats dead my baby is dead and the rest of chickens will not go over to that side of coop for nothing. Hubby was so sick to his stomach he patched every hole he got rat traps and we have caught 16 in a week I just had let you all know rats will eat chickens !!!!!!

 

[Olive Hill]

Sorry about your serama. Rats definitely eat chickens. And the old saying goes: where you see one there are 25 more. By that account you've only got 400 more to trap.

At least the rat killed her. Raccoons will eat them alive.

 

[Ole rooster]

How did you have so many and not know it? That's awful.

 

[MsPony]

*huge hugs* I'm sorry, that's awful to witness!! My ladies never got the memo, they eat rats, maybe they can teach yours?

*hugs again*

 

[flowerchild59]

So sorry you had to witness something like that. I would put out poison pellets down the hole or a block of bait that no other chicken or animal could access.

 

[cackleberrycoop]

Quote:
It's so easy to have no idea - they are pretty sneaky until there are too many of them to stay out of sight.

That's so sad, Cackling Hen. I'ts wonderful that you were close enough and tuned in enough to hear the commotion right away - saved many little lives, I'm sure.

 

[Cackling Hen]

There coming over at night from neighbors we found the rat trail we asked if they would let us put poison out the said of course and I got decon pellets I'm just scared that the chickens will get a piece of it so rat traps it is

 

[cackleberrycoop]

Quote:
I know it cost a lot to get started, but there are those "baiting stations" that make all the difference in this battle against the mice and the rats. They are super thick plastic containers with tunnel system so the rodents can go in and out, but chickens, dogs, cats, and other pets can't get in. We have a few throughout the coops and we just fill them with the poison pellets, check them every week or so. At first I had to buy a large tub of the poison and refile it regularly; It hasn't had to be filled in quite a while now - signs of success!

 

[Babetteschicks]

A 7 foot long chicken snake tried his business in our coop. Were heard the ruckus and went out to find 15 hens and our Dominique rooster and two rabbits have this snake pinned up in the corner and everybody is taking shots at him! Even the rabbits are jumping in with a bite here and there. I'm sure death was a welcomed relief for him..he probably thought..anything! Just get me out of here!!! He broke into the wrong coop..lol

 

[Cackling Hen]

I had the bigs girls blocked off from they Seramas I believe if they were together the rat would have never tryed it .!!!!!!