What do I do about all of the RATS in my coop?

[chickenwhisperer1804]

I have a HUGE rat problem in my coop! It has gotten so bad, that I now see rats running for cover in the middle of the afternoon!

I don't know what to do! I have tried traps! They just take the bait and squeeze through the bars. I'm afraid that they are going to hurt my chickens! They are really big brown rats that are eating my chicken feed right out of the feeder. HELP!

If ANYONE knows what to do, PLEASE respond!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Katy]

I finally resorted to using Just One Bite rat poison after being over run with rats and trying everything else to get rid of them. I bought bait stations to put it in so the chickens couldn't get to it. It has a low risk of secondary poisoning to any cats or dogs that might get a hold of a dead rat. It took care of them in about a week's time.

 

[chickenwhisperer1804]

Thankyou! Hopefully that will to the trick!

 

[flash5153]

They sell very small live traps also,,,just for rats. No sure of the cost though.

 

[bryan99705]

Be cautious of the poison because a chicken will peck and eat a dead anything! How about using a open top barrel about half full of water, drill 2 holes opposite each othe in the rim, stretch a piece of coat hanger wire across the top of the opening using the holes to secure it, hang a tasty bait in the middle of the wire, and lay a couple ramps from the ground to the rim for easy rat access. The rats will climb the ramp and try to reach the bait, fall into the barrel and drown.

low maintenance, multi animal holding, non-poisonous, and no touching the rat carcasses. WIN WIN WIN

 

[colebarnhart]

Rat eating fried chicken leg!!! Very Disturbing, lol!!!!!!

I would do the same as with other predator problems. Better wire up the run and better secure the coop. They can fit thru tiny holes, but if you put up some 1/2" hardware wire they can't go thru that. You have given them an easy food source and they won't go away easily, you'll be trapping and poisioning for a long time until you prevent thier easy access.

 

[THough1956]

There is also an electric mouse trap, runs off a battery. You put the bait inside and when he goes in he gets electrocuted. I have friends that use these with very good results. I think TSC has them.

 

[bryan99705]

Thought just occured (yes it did burn a little) Is your coop on the ground? Can you raise it to eliminate the dark safe spot they hide in?

If a dog or even a chicken can get to the area maybe they will move away

 

[BrewedInNh]

So far we've only had one rat a couple of months ago. It wasn't very big, about the size of a red squirrel. I dispatched it with a pellet gun.

I'm always leary of chemicals around our girls. I saw a recipe in one of these threads for a peanut butter / plaster of paris / veg oil rat poison. I'm not sure how risky that would be if a chicken ate some.

You might try a big mean rooster. (what's that tune about a woman who swallowed a fly?)

 

[shelleyd2008]

POISON!!!

That is the only thing that finally got rid of them here. You need to get rid of them. Not only do they transfer diseases, they will eat your feed and eventually your chickens. Use the bait bars and tie them down if you have 'pet' animals that might come into contact with them, otherwise just toss some bait bars down and let them take them back to their nests.

ETA: For a large rat problem, the only thing that will work, and work fast, is poison. Your chickens will not eat the dead rat; even so, the only way the dead rat will harm them is if it has undigested poison in its stomach that the chickens eat. The barrel traps don't work. The peanut butter and plaster of paris balls don't work. Snap traps might work but it would take a long time and a lot of traps to make a dent in a huge population. Live traps would work if you have the right ones, but what are you going to do with the trapped rats??

Get poison and get rid of your rats. You can use a large soup can as a 'bait station' or a piece of PVC pipe. Drill a hole in the can/pipe, put a piece of wire through the hole, and wire the poison bar inside the can/pipe. Then you can toss them wherever you want and the chickens won't get it.