what a nightmare!!!

[lukewride]

I've had a bit of a rat infestation recently so i put some block bait poison in the holes i'd found around the outside of the coop...

I let the chickens out this morning and just went back after 2 hours or so and theres one of the poison baits in the coop thats obviously been pulled into it by a rat.. it looks slightly nibbled or pecked but very little.. maybe 1/20th of it or less is missing.

The tub for the bait says it'll kill a rat in one feed.. i'm praying that that means one whole block..

Has anyone had this problem before?? any idea what i should do??

They arent showing any signs of illness yet but then again its only been 2 hours or so and i dont know how long ago they had fed.. if they had fed atall..

god, i dont know what i shuld do!!

 

[basicliving]

Hi lukewride. I am so very sorry you are going through this torment. I've never had this happen, but to be honest, if they've eaten any of the poison, there's not much you can do about it now.

I've learned some pretty hard lessons myself through mistakes. I think most of us have. Don't be too hard on yourself.

Hopefully, your chickens will be ok. Please let us know.

Penny

 

[Jena]

Rat poison is very powerful stuff and it can kill a dog in minutes. I have seen the results. So if your birds look ok it is probable that they have not injested any.

You really must be so careful where you put this stuff. Honestly.

Off the top of my head I can not go into specifics, but it causes almost instant paralysis, and death very quickly and some modern mixtures actually deal with disposal ofthe animal as well. it quite literally eats them from the inside out. Just so you do not have remains left in your attic.

Best wishes but do be careful.

 

[basicliving]

Chickens have the amazing ability to find everything! Before moved onto our property, it was a weekend retreat for us. The area we eventually cleared and now live on was woods and we would come out on the weekends and target shoot. We have a friend that re-loads so we would use a metal detector and collect the shells for him. We thought we were pretty thorough. Even a couple of years AFTER the land was cleared, graded, seeded, covered with straw, and lived on, I routinely find shell casings in the chicken run or in areas they've been scratching in. They find them in the yard and bring them into the run on a regular basis. It's simply amazing to me. They also find old soda pull tabs that must have been somewhere in the ground for years and years, along with more things than I can remember right now.

I've learned there's really no way to hide anything from chickens. If it's out there, they'll find it. Their curiosity is truly unmatched.

I really hope your chickens are ok. I don't have much experience with poisons, but what Jena says makes sense to me. If it's been a couple of hours and your chickens are still ok, I think they must not have eaten any of it. Please let us know.

Best of luck,
Penny

 

[lukewride]

Thanks alot.. my minds at rest... slightly

I've been feeding them bread and rocket salad which is their favorite and their appitite definatly hasent been effected.

I'm off to play football in a bit miles away so when i get back this evening i'll let u all know whats happening...

thanks again

 

[spook]

Chicken poo, rats, snakes all go together around any farm for that matter.
I would suggest placing Rat traps inside a milk crate, or a box against the wall, put peanut butter on it. Milk crate is to keep the rat trap from snapping some chicken!

Another thing you can do is place diluted moth ball/flakes in water, its gross, but pour it down the holes and around the outside of the place. Its only a temporary, but rats aren't capable of seeing, that is why you find them running close to a wall for guidence.
I do not know if I'd put the bait in and around my girls, they could eat that rat, and they will.

Instead draw the rats out to a chicken wire fenced in area, that way they will die without escaping.
Good luck, rats spread disease, eat grain and are a pita!

 

[jhm47]

MOST (note: I said MOST) modern rat poisons are anticoagulants. They kill by destroying the vitamin K in the bloodstreams of the affected animals. Just one bite is one of those. It can be counteracted by an injection of vitamin K. It does take several days for it to become fatal however. The active ingredient is Bromadiolone, which is an anticoagulant.

Here is some information from the MSDS information from the manufacturer:

Emergency and First Aid Procedures
Eyes: Flush with water. Get medical attention if irritation persists.
Skin:Wash with soap and water. Get medical attention if irritation persists.
Inhalation: If inhaled, remove person to fresh air. Get medical attention. Ingestion: Call a physician or poison control center immediately. Have the product label available for medical personnel to read. Induce vomiting under the direction of medical personnel. Drink 1 or 2 glasses of water and induce vomiting by touching the back of throat with finger. If syrup of ipecac is available, give 1 tablespoon (15ml) followed by 1 or 2 glasses of water. If vomiting does not occur within 20 minutes,
repeat this dosage once. Do not induce vomiting or give anything by mouth to an unconscious person.

Note to Physician
This rodenticide contains an anticoagulant ingredient. If ingested, administer vitamin K1 intramuscularly or orally, as indicated in bishydroxycoumarin overdoses. Repeat as necessary based on monitoring of prothrombin times. For information on this pesticide product (including health concerns, medical emergencies, or pesticide incidents) call the National Pesticide Telecommunications Network at 1-800-858-7378.

Hope this helps, and good luck with your birds.

 

[lukewride]

I've just read it and it is an anticoagulant.

At the moment the chickens are fine. they're laying eggs, eating, drinking and running about as per usual..
i dont know what signs i should look out for... general illness i suppose

It's too late for a vet and 2moro's sunday so i guess i'd be best just to keep an eye on them closely for the next few days and if i see any illness (altho it may be too late) materialises.

Like i said before there may be a chance they havent eaten it atall... i'm hoping that is the case.. but i'm not feeling too lucky.

I'm hoping that if they had eaten any there would be signs by now but as i said they're fine..

I'll keep you updated. thanks for the help

 

[sandypaws]

wow.. the milk crate is an awesome idea!!!! DDUUHH why did not i think of that.. so simple!!!!
the house i bought is infested with rats.. no way to get rid of them 100% but we keep snap traps out all the time.. once in a while those glue traps under the house.. and i have trained my dogs to seek out and KILL ANY rodent in the yard... they catch as many as the traps do...

 

[lukewride]

The chickens are currently sunbatheing after a busy morning running after sparrows and robins that are brave enough to land in the run.
I'm guessing that nearly 2 days after eating poison they would be showing signs of weakness which they dont seem to be... then again, if this stuff is slow acting i could be talking too soon.

I'll keep updating until i'm sure we're in the clear.. but for now my fingers are crossed!..

Wish me luck!!!

Luke