What were your worst mistakes when you first started?

[Folly's place]

Ladies, please; testosterone toxicity is real!
Mary

 

[MissChick@dee]

Ladies, please; testosterone toxicity is real!
Mary

Don’t hide Mary...@BarnGems had all the tessties’ removed. It’s safe now.

 

[Cragg Klefor]

I really feel for you, having a rat problem can be a nightmare, but I'm not sure putting an apron any length would help as rats tunnel. The very little I know about rats is that they will have more than one exit/entrance to their burrow and the majority of rats travel through tunnel systems and will have tunnels from their burrows right to their food source, they can travel underground further than 10 foot, rats have been known to travel underground up to 4 miles. I'm thinking maybe its time to call in Rentokil?

Thanks Mary, these guys have only ever acessed via this point where there is no buried wire. Perhaps they were just taking the easiest route. There are lots of rats around here, the buried wire at least seems to be enough of an annoyance to deter. To be honest, I wouldn't put anything past these guys. I am always torn between being angry and amazed at them!

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Thanks Mary, these guys have only ever acessed via this point where there is no buried wire. Perhaps they were just taking the easiest route. There are lots of rats around here, the buried wire at least seems to be enough of an annoyance to deter. To be honest, I wouldn't put anything past these guys. I am always torn between being angry and amazed at them!

I understand your frustration and your amazement too. My sister and a friend of mine used to keep rats as pets when their kids were younger and they really are very intelligent, very affectionate too, I used to love getting them out for a cuddle - might be hard for some to believe but they really do make amazing pets.
I think you are right about them taking the easiest route - although they can travel miles in search of food, if they can find easy accessible food they'd always go for the easy option. My hope is that you have disturbed them enough to deter them - I have heard that can happen.

 

[Cragg Klefor]

Yes, I hope that too...but I will be surprised if that proves true. They now know where there is food so I suspect I've got me a problem
It will be interesting today to see what they got up to last night.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Yes, I hope that too...but I will be surprised if that proves true. They now know where there is food so I suspect I've got me a problem
It will be interesting today to see what they got up to last night.

If you don't mind keeping us posted I'd really like to find out how you get on.
Just a thought but, have you considered getting rat proof feeders?
A friend of mine is a breeder he uses them - there are several types on the market, the ones he uses are such that the chicken has to stand on a lever to open up the lid (quite fascinating to watch actually) but there are other designs out there.

 

[Cragg Klefor]

Funny you should ask... I was just out letting out the girls for the day thinking about a thread I had read on here about feeders. My father is a wizard at constructing whatever is needed. I'm thinking of presenting him with the problem and some plans, and see what he can come up with. He loves a project so this will certainly keep him going for a while! I am fearful of rat traps, so it is he who comes down and sets them for me. Initially they work, but the rats get clever real quick.
I will certainly keep you updated. This evening, I am going to try tempt the rat(s) out of the runs via an open gate when the girls go in for the night (with cat food) and try to close the run again before they re-enter. I always pick up feed bowls when I'm closing the coops but as I often hear is a problem, it's the food stamped into the ground that draws them. There is not much as I feed them soaked feed, but enough to draw the rats. I guess there's not much else around for them at this time of year.
It's going to be a late one!!

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Funny you should ask... I was just out letting out the girls for the day thinking about a thread I had read on here about feeders. My father is a wizard at constructing whatever is needed. I'm thinking of presenting him with the problem and some plans, and see what he can come up with. He loves a project so this will certainly keep him going for a while! I am fearful of rat traps, so it is he who comes down and sets them for me. Initially they work, but the rats get clever real quick.
I will certainly keep you updated. This evening, I am going to try tempt the rat(s) out of the runs via an open gate when the girls go in for the night (with cat food) and try to close the run again before they re-enter. I always pick up feed bowls when I'm closing the coops but as I often hear is a problem, it's the food stamped into the ground that draws them. There is not much as I feed them soaked feed, but enough to draw the rats. I guess there's not much else around for them at this time of year.
It's going to be a late one!!

Sounds like a good plan!
Of the rat proof feeders I've seen there are some which are completely closed so no food drops out, maybe you could explain that to your dad too and see what he comes up with. I'm on a new phone and haven't yet worked out how to share a link, otherwise I would have sent you a link to show you. There are plenty on Google if you are interested in having a look.
I really feel for you hun, getting rats is one of my biggest worries. So far we haven't had any and hopefully it I'll stay that way. We have mice under our shed, they've been here for the whole 25 years I've lived here but for some reason they don't go anywhere near our birds food, not even when I've carelessly left out scratch mix and veg out in the garden during the night - real puzzle that one.
Really appreciate you keeping me posted as I am interested in how you get on and really hoping for you to find a resolve.

 

[Cragg Klefor]

Sounds like a good plan!
Of the rat proof feeders I've seen there are some which are completely closed so no food drops out, maybe you could explain that to your dad too and see what he comes up with. I'm on a new phone and haven't yet worked out how to share a link, otherwise I would have sent you a link to show you. There are plenty on Google if you are interested in having a look.
I really feel for you hun, getting rats is one of my biggest worries. So far we haven't had any and hopefully it I'll stay that way. We have mice under our shed, they've been here for the whole 25 years I've lived here but for some reason they don't go anywhere near our birds food, not even when I've carelessly left out scratch mix and veg out in the garden during the night - real puzzle that one.
Really appreciate you keeping me posted as I am interested in how you get on and really hoping for you to find a resolve.

Thank you
I am thinking about this one?? I reckon I could still steep their feed with this one. Any thoughts? I will need at very least 3 - separate runs. And possibly 2 in one of those runs... so that's 4.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Thank you
I am thinking about this one?? I reckon I could still steep their feed with this one. Any thoughts? I will need at very least 3 - separate runs. And possibly 2 in one of those runs... so that's 4.View attachment 1646351

That's the one my breeder friend uses, he has 50+ chickens, more when its chick season, he has ducks too, he lives in the country side where rats are common, which is why he opted for that one, he rarely has any bother, if ever at all. The rats aren't heavy enough or strong enough to operate it.