Rats!

[tortoise]

Dreaded rats in the chicken coop. DH checked on chickens late last night and saw FIVE.

DS14 cleared kitchen scrap remains from the outdoor run. We've been feeding daily instead of a feeder. I'm worried my little silkies wont get enough to eat.

The rats are living in tunnels under the coop. I want DH to line the coop with metal paneling next year, but it will be hard to convince him to do it.

 

[Trying2keepitReal]

I am so sorry that you are having to deal with this. So are you going to trap for now? I wouldn't even know where to start.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

That is a battle I fight also. It didn't even start with my animals and their feed - it started with the neighbors next door who left birdseed out constantly. My animals get fed what they will clean up - feed is never left out but I guess with what gets spilled out of the feeders and what I might spill scooping it out of the cans is enough to tempt them to bless us with their presence.

When DH was hospitalized and I left the English Shepherds outside all night I'd come home from the hospital and find a "gift" that the girls had left me every day. These dogs are excellent varmint dogs. They are only limited by fences... We put out some poison this week in the feed trailer only because the neighbors and their free-ranging beagle are out of town. I don't want to poison someone's dog - especially not the sweet girl next door who will eat anything she finds.

I've had to reconfigure all my quail cages so the rats can't get in them. They will kill and eat a quail in a heartbeat. My cages previously were 1 x 2 wire - now they're all covered in 1/2 inch hardware cloth. No way a rat is getting in there now and I haven't lost a quail since I've done that.

It's a never ending battle.

 

[NH Homesteader]

I hate rats! my husband eliminated most of them a few years ago by shooting them in the evenings, lol, but we have pigs… it’s hard to keep them away for good.

 

[Okiepan]

At least there are NO serpents in the hen house , Just saying

 

[baymule]

I use Just One Bite. It gets ‘em. Last winter we were overrun with mice. I put poison in secure places and no more mice. Then the rats made themselves at home on the porch. I used Just One Bite, putting it where the dogs couldn’t get to it. They really aren’t interested in it anyway, but I hide it. This stuff works!

 

[tortoise]

I am so sorry that you are having to deal with this. So are you going to trap for now? I wouldn't even know where to start.

IDK either. We have tried starving them out (for years!), forcing them out by filling their burrow with water, and poison. Those worked... sorta, but rats moved into the barn, ate my baby rabbits for a year until I gave up raising rabbits. Didnt have small animals for a year, but they came back after I got chickens again.

 

[Hinotori]

We don't use poison because the ravens eat the dead rats. I use a ratinator and have treadle feeders. There are still rats out there.

I think the rats we have are a native species as the males don't have the giant dragging balls of brown rats. They also went after stuff in the garden. Chicken food glued down with a bit of peanut butter is the best bait if they find their way into this ancient house. They aren't big on meat.

 

[Marie2020]

We have had mice getting into the chickens run I wondered why my girls were all suddenly molting. Now I have too take away their freedom of being able too go into their run and eat and drink whenever they wish.

I've ordered hardwired steel to line inside their run but the weather is becoming awful and I'm praying this young boy will still help me complete this work.

We had animal abusers behind where I live they would starve and breed dogs the noise was horrific and heart breaking too hear. They must have been dead dog's left too rot in their garden as well as other rotting food and dogs mess because I was told they have encouraged rats into everyone's gardens.

These vile people have since moved into a small holding, they were never stopped from their neglect and abuse because this system on every level ignored everyone's pleas for help.

A dog warden showed up and a neighbour tried too communicate with him, he totally blanked her which was just as well as he Obviously didn't care at all

So now I live in the worry of rats getting to my chickens and I will always think about those poor dog's trapped with such evil people and locked into drafty sheds for days on end while they holiday.

 

[Mini Horses]

In my area those are felony charges....AND...animal control is sometimes over zealous! It's part of police department. Very active units here!!