The Old Folks Home

[ozexpat]

Rats were a no show again last night. However, this morning, BF and I were cleaning up after breakfast and getting ready to leave for work when...

BF says "I THINK YOUR RAT IS BACK!"

Me, squinting: "No, I think that's a squirrel."

BF: "Remember when you thought the bobcat in the trap was a housecat? This is your rat. Get the gun."

He got a shot off at it, but missed. It went under the dog house. We argued for a few minutes over whether we should attempt to bludgeon it to death or not. Verdict: Yes. Risk being late to work. He lifted, I held the shovel. The rat, already freaked out by the shot, flew out from under the dog house and ran under the goat house.

I wonder if it's coming out during the day because of more food and because it's been so rainy or because I've been out at night?

you should be true to your name and break out the anticoagulants

 

[Wisher1000]

Y'all need a motion activated video camera

 

[stonykill]

Y'all need a motion activated video camera

we have a motion activated sprinkler to keep the chickens out of the garden

 

[ronott1]

Rats were a no show again last night. However, this morning, BF and I were cleaning up after breakfast and getting ready to leave for work when...

BF says "I THINK YOUR RAT IS BACK!"

Me, squinting: "No, I think that's a squirrel."

BF: "Remember when you thought the bobcat in the trap was a housecat? This is your rat. Get the gun."

He got a shot off at it, but missed. It went under the dog house. We argued for a few minutes over whether we should attempt to bludgeon it to death or not. Verdict: Yes. Risk being late to work. He lifted, I held the shovel. The rat, already freaked out by the shot, flew out from under the dog house and ran under the goat house.

I wonder if it's coming out during the day because of more food and because it's been so rainy or because I've been out at night?

It is a lot different shooting at a live "thing" than a target.

He will get better at it with practice.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:

 

[superchemicalgirl]

you should be true to your name and break out the anticoagulants

I was considering that but it's a last resort. I don't want to accidentally poison something that should live. Besides, with my luck the stupid rat would eat spinach for breakfast, lunch and dinner... or maybe I should try dabigatran.

Y'all need a motion activated video camera

You mean like this one?

 

[ozexpat]

I was considering that but it's a last resort. I don't want to accidentally poison something that should live. Besides, with my luck the stupid rat would eat spinach for breakfast, lunch and dinner... or maybe I should try dabigatran.




You mean like this one?

in this case warfarin is way cheaper and more lethal. I love it when rats bleed to death - does that sound mean?

I buy 30lb bags of the stuff. I use those black rat feeders but I dont have anything else that can get to it and eating an over anticoagulated rat or 6 wont raise the pro-time of a dog

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Really? Because I was terrified when a poisoned rat made it way into the dog pen and died within reach of my dogs. Fortunately the dogs did not touch the thing afterall, but it sure scared me. ( THat was the last of my rat problems.)

 

[Wisher1000]

[quote name="superchemicalgirl"
You mean like this one?
[/quote]

Did you catch the rat chase on that one and can you post it, please?

 

[ozexpat]

Really? Because I was terrified when a poisoned rat made it way into the dog pen and died within reach of my dogs. Fortunately the dogs did not touch the thing afterall, but it sure scared me. ( THat was the last of my rat problems.)

Rat poison can certainly be very dangerous to domestic animals who eat the dead rats.

Rat poisons come in 3 varieties:

1) Anticoagulant rodenticides
2) Cholecalciferol rodenticides
3) Bromethalin rodenticides

In the past there have been various other types of rat poison, however, these 3 varieties are generally what are used today. The first type, anticoagulant rodenticide, works by thinning the blood. The second type, cholecaliferol rodenticide, works by disrupting the rat's ability to process calcium. The third, bromethalin rodenticide, works by reducing the rat's ability to control muscle contraction.

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]The type I am referring to is the anti-coagulant type. The amount of poison required to kill a rat should not harm a dog 20 times its weight. i ensure that my free range dogs do not have access to the poison concentrate by putting it in special housings but I have no control over how many rats they chose to eat. I have not lost a dog to poisoning.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]The other types of poisons can be lethal to dogs if they eat the rats.[/FONT]