You won't believe what me and my dad found!

[AngieChick]

Why don't you just bring your backyard cat in for a bit and put your killer front yard cat in back where the rats are? It may be a bit of work moving them around, but it would certainly be easier than waiting around to shoot more than a dozen rats.

 

[cassie]

I used to milk cows on a commercial dairy. The place was overrun with rats. My boss got something called pitchpaks. It was rat poison on little envelopes that you could toss around in places where the rats could get them and the dogs could not. In a very short time the place was free of rats. This was some years ago so I don't know if the pitch paks are still available, but if you can find them they really do work.

 

[cassie]

If you could borrow somebody's Jack Russel Terrier, that would work too.

 

[ams3651]

we had problems with rats at home on the farm, almost lost a grain bin because of the tunnels underneath. We had to resort to poison to get rid of them. THey will come out looking for water. Just make sure you patrol for the dead ones so your other animals dont get them. Get the good stuff from a feed mill or TSC. Shoot the ones you see and poison the ones you dont. I have mice in my coop and I throw a pack of poison under the shed, works like a charm.

 

[English Chick]

Dispatch the rats asap... have no mercy!

 

[highcountrychickens]

Quote:
Yup... we are free of rats (too cold for them here anyway) mice, moles voles - the chipmunks are endangered, but smart enough to avoid the dogs... drives them nuts

I recommend borrowing a thrifty JRT -

 

[KinderKorner]

cut their rations back. If you over feed a working animal, they loose the desire to hunt. I only feed our barncats in the winter time.

That is sooo not true.

I have 6 cats and a dog, and they are over fed. And I have a new dead thing on my porch every single day.

Possums, Birds, Moles, Deer legs.

Animals who are fed will still hunt. My 18 pound house cat still goes out and catches a bird at least a few times a month.

Some animals just don't have that desire or smarts to get their own food. These are animals that have been domesicated over hundreds of years. I have another cat that lives outside and is around 7 years old. And she has never caught a thing in her life. But she is the dumbest thing.

Not feeding your animals may drive them to find and kill things, but whos to say that won't be your chickens. Feed your animals please, and let them hunt instinctively.​

 

[saddina]

I'd let you borrow Coco but he's busy defending the front yard from invading mauraders (that would be the neighbor's rat-dogs to anyone else). Try switching the hunting cat and non hunting cats for some time and see if that helps, and carry the bbgun at all times. Now as a mother I must remind you not to shoot at other people (see: you'll shoot your eye out clause in all maternal instincts).

 

[purpletree23]

I have a sure fire way to get rid of rats and it will only take 1 night.

Here is the recipe:

1 part peanut butter
1 part plaster of paris (very cheap at craft stores)
Mix with vegetable oil until very thick paste forms. DO NOT ADD WATER

Roll into little balls and put them where the rats are. I put mine under the chicken coop. Rats can fit under anything! GROSS!!

THE RATS WILL DRINK WATER AND THEIR STOMACHS WILL TURN INTO CONCRETE. NO MORE RATS OR POISONOUS RESIDUE.

Let me know how it goes.

 

[Uppity Peon]

Quote:
LOL! At first I thought you were voicing the same thought I had! What are the rats eating? I guarantee they are eating chicken feed or something you are providing them.

I say cut the rats' rations back first.