pattacat Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 Hi, I'd be really interested to know if anyone out there has had similar problems with rats to us. One has chewed it's way through the plastic by the door in to the eglu. We also have one (at least) accessing the run by digging under the omlet. We normally shut the chickens in at night and remove the food but this isn't always possible if we are away. Does anyone have any suggestions? All gratefully received! Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 Hello. Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear you are having trouble with rats. Why not have a dekko at **this article** from the **FAQ Section**? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oatley Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 If you have a rat problem, you really need to get someone to deal with the chickens whilst you are away. You must remove the food at night or you will not get rid of the rats. In addition - never feed by any other method than using the proper grub food container until the problem is solved. Uneaten food on the floor is obviously a problem. If the food is being removed, poison can work. Personally - we found out where they were building their nest and shot them. After that we have been obsessive about the removal of the food at night and their has not been a recurrence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 If you have rats, the food must be brought in every night. Otherwise you will just get more and more rats. And if they have already eaten their way into the Eglu, this is dangerous: they can attack sleeping hens. We all have different ways of dealing with rats, and you will find plenty of ideas elsewhere on the forum. I think that most people would agree that humane traps aren't much use. I use spring traps; others use poison or shoot them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattacat Posted August 22, 2008 Author Share Posted August 22, 2008 Thanks for all your feedback so far... I am concerned about rats attacking the chickens and wonder whether any one has experienced this happenning. I have to say Omlet were less than helpful on this matter and basically said we could buy replacement parts for the eglu. This has 2 problems - firstly, if a rat chewed through once, surely it will do it again, secondly it is the main part of the eglu that has been chewed so the most expensive bit! They say noone has had this happen before... didn't make us feel a whole lot better though! We are putting traps in the run at night (chickens safely shut in) but rats are canny and have left them well alone so far. P.S. we had only had the eglu 6 weeks when this happenned so not a great start! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yolky Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 We had the chooks on the grass for the first week and I am sure that there were rats coming into the run and they were digging in under the eglu too, there sort of is an area either side of the eglu where it seems that they don't have to dig much to get in. We have always removed food at night too. We have the eglu on slabs now and have not had the issue since. That would work but you may not want your eglu on slabs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 I have have found that that only solution was to put the Eglu on slabs. Until I did that, I was filling in tunnels every day. I don't think that anyone on this forum has had their hens killed by rats, but if you do a Google search you will find that rats are a common hen killer. Hens are practically unconscious at night, as you have probably noticed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura&Sean Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 Gosh rats chewing through the plastic that sounds horrendous. I would be onto the council to ask for a pest control officer to come out to me and assess my problem. I really hope you get something sorted, how horrible for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAB Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 It sounds like a cat would be a good addition to your family! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 I work away from home a few nights per week, so am unable to bring the food in at night. We only had a rat problem when the horses moved into the field next door. Eglu is now on slabs. Easy to clean out - move the eglu, shovel up the bedding in the run, wash down, more bedding and done! No more rats or evidence of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattacat Posted August 26, 2008 Author Share Posted August 26, 2008 Thanks again for advice... We are considering putting the omlet on slabs, do you have slabs under the run too (with woodchips over I assume!) or just the omlet itself? We do have a cat already - a very good hunter judging by what he brings home - but spends most of his time not in our garden. If only it was possible to train a cat! We also have a dog but she shows far more interest in eating the chickens than any rodent. She's a working lab and thinks we have got 3 pheasants for her entertainment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 I have slabs under the run too. Rats can easily tunnel into the run, but not if it is on slabs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted August 30, 2008 Share Posted August 30, 2008 We are considering putting the omlet on slabs, do you have slabs under the run too (with woodchips over I assume!) or just the omlet itself? Yes, the eglu and run are both on slabs. Fill the run with aubiose/hemcore or some other bedding. Gives them something to scratch around in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charliechick Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 humm im reading these posts with great interest as we have evidence of rats and killed 3 already with rat traps. Nearly break my fingers when i set them tho. Tunnels are an absolute pain to keep finding!!!!! And filling in! But im unsure about putting the run on slabs as i know they like to scratch and thought it was abit unfair to put them on slabs? It would be abit cleaner for them tho. Charliechick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bokbokbok Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 I have rats. They wont take the hint. I have three traps and bait down. So far have only managed to catch one of the blighters. It has gone past the point of funniness now and I am getting more and more frustrated as every time I go to the run to shut the chickens up for the night there is another tunnel into the run. I have blocked every one of them with rolled up wire but they find more ways in and side step what I have put in place. They are now happily living under the shed no matter how much I block up the gaps. I feel like pouring cement down the holes! This is happening between the time the chickens go to bed and I get out to shut them in - so the food is still out. Other people here say that they will stop visiting if there is no food but I can't take the food away quick enough these dark evenings. They have a nice cozy life under the shed - will they REALLY leave that if there is no food in the run? Bleh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 Rats have definitely been known to kill poultry - they eat them alive too. Someone on another forum reported that his broody and chicks were killed by rats one night and a friend of mine had the same problem a few years ago. Rats are attracted mainly by a food source, but if they have found a nice cosy residence under a shed or similar, they aren't likely to move on by choice. There is always food somewhere for rats - even dog poo!!! You have to be persistent to stay on top of a rat problem and act immediately you suspect they're back again. They are masters at evading traps or poison and they breed incredibly quickly. A minor rat nuisance soon becomes a major rat problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bokbokbok Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 *sigh* Am about to go home to find where else they have dug up. Is there no SURE FIRE way of getting rid of them? *is desperate* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
