The Old Folks Home

[perchie.girl]

Both excellent ideas, thank you. I have never caught a rat in a snap trap. I've caught them in the buckets, the have a hearts and shot them. The pellet guns don't seem to take them down, have to use a 22.

I bought rat snap traps for the house this summer They are SCARY. I am afraid I wont be able to set them.

deb

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Just messing with u. ...

Dude, that scare was totally uncalled for.

They're all marked on the bottom with the day they were laid.
I would have also marked them with the rooster number but only one flock is laying and there are two roosters in that flock.

5 gallon bucket traps baited with peanut butter work well.
I use fruit stripe chewing gum to bait snap traps in my shed. They cant stay away from it.

The bucket traps are my favorite as well. I've caught up to 5 mice in a night with them.
Reminds me I have to start putting them out. Coops, cellar, garage, etc..
A year ago mice took up residence in every space of the garden tractor including the carburetor. Bucket trap between the front and rear tire and a tarp covering the whole thing and the mice were gone overnight.

I bought rat snap traps for the house this summer They are SCARY. I am afraid I wont be able to set them.

deb

The Duke dog proof leg traps are even scarier to set, but boy they work like a champ.
http://www.flemingtraps.com/duke-dog-proof-racoon-trap.html
Scarier yet are the conibear body traps. I snapped one on my finger and luckily it didn't break but it hurt just the same. Also lucky was the fact it was the smallest version, a size #110.
http://www.flemingtraps.com/duke-110-body-t.html

 

[vehve]

Here the trouble is mice. I got one of these:

http://www.swissinno.com/en/rodents/mouse/no-see-no-touch-mousetrap/description.html



I can set it wherever without worrying about chickens or dogs going near it. We haven't had any mice in a while again, but a couple of weeks ago I caught one every day for ten days straight. You're supposed to use super expensive bait made specifically for it, but I just bait it with some linseed pellet. Works like a charm. Haven't seen a rat version from the same manufacturer though.

 

[Alaskan]

 
So far the traps lay undisturbed.

Tomorrow I hunt.

This sounds like the introduction to Mad Max 5.

Al, are you sure it isn't just in the wrong coop or something?

Nah, a bantam wheaten Ameraucana is pretty distinctive. We did stare at a buff d'anvers for twenty minutes... But the rose comb gave it away.


The .... ah... Buzzz that I am currently under is making my typing distinctive.

I have failed at making the world realize that I should be recognized as supreme ruler.... This makes me very sad... I shall now sleep.... So that I can pretend that I am truly the ruler over all.

Bow now... Or realize that you are the cause of my sadness.

 

[Alaskan]

As to rodents the most effective for me has been sticky traps.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I keep one of those under the seat of my wife's car. I've caught 2 in there so far.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I find the rat traps, due to their size, are easier to manipulate and thus set, over standard mouse sized traps. I actually prefer them.

You're not kidding on the conibear. My trapping class spent an hour going over how to get yourself disentangled from a trap out in the woods without dying.

All 5 of the traps were not disturbed overnight. No new signs of rats, although with the tunnels they built yesterday they're probably sleeping it off.

BF is going to be home today and will hopefully get the fox, too. We have the game cam up and know its pattern.

 

[bruceha2000]

I bought rat snap traps for the house this summer They are SCARY. I am afraid I wont be able to set them.

deb

You mean AND still have your hands?

The bucket traps are my favorite as well. I've caught up to 5 mice in a night with them.

I did that in the house a couple of winters ago. Caught quite a few mice and released them on the far side of the barn. Either the same one kept coming back and wised up or word got out because the bucket trap ceased to work, the sunflower seeds on the top were untouched but there was still evidence of mice. Got 2 snap traps (sorry mice, I gave you the 'catch and release' option) and caught several more. Now the indoor cats deal with it though I prefer they not eat them and then barf up the guts.

 

[Tumbling K]

You mean AND still have your hands?


I did that in the house a couple of winters ago. Caught quite a few mice and released them on the far side of the barn. Either the same one kept coming back and wised up or word got out because the bucket trap ceased to work, the sunflower seeds on the top were untouched but there was still evidence of mice. Got 2 snap traps (sorry mice, I gave you the 'catch and release' option) and caught several more. Now the indoor cats deal with it though I prefer they not eat them and then barf up the guts.

kudos for you catch and release........

and I'm gonna laugh a little bit, not mean spirited, but at just the novelty to me of releasing mice.

 

[vehve]

Well what do you know. Karin has been claiming that both the freeloaders have started laying, while I thought only the other one had. But now I've gotten four eggs today, all different colours. All that's missing now is that Klaara resumes her duties, and we'll be at full capacity. She's forgiven though, since she went into a molt after the hawk attacked her.

But look at these pretties!

Still need to get Klaara's egg to have the full spectrum, but she lays a lovely light pink colour. She, and the two on the right were hatched from the olive one. But pretty cool colour spread, light turquoise, mint and olive hues, is what it looks like to me.

Here's a pic with Klaara's colour from when she was still laying.