dogs and chickens Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 (edited) About a month ago I said to my husband that he needed to move a board he has left in the chicken run, he looked at me like I was stupid and left it there , being pregnant I did not want to lift it so against my better judgement it stayed. About a week after that I noticed holes round the edge of the board so I decided that although I would struggle to get the board out of the run I could lean it up against the cube, which I did. Underneath were about 5 HUGE RATS - YUK YUK YUK!!!!!!! Anyway rats did a runner and I told hubby we could see no further signs of problem so did not do anything more - big mistake! Although not sure what we would have done at that stage, as no holes! Yesterday I went up to see the chooks and there looked like there was rat poop in the nest box So I pulled the cover of the run and had a good look around, there is a HUGE hole in the run floor and a hole under the side of the run - I guess so they can get out! Hubby has been looking after the chooks as I have been really unwell with the pregnancy and he had left the board to blow back over. I picked it up no rats, and feeling really fed up that I am so pregnant I can do nothing myself leave it for then. Hubby gets back last night and says he can do nothing in the dark - well fair enough and he had to leave early to go away with work. I went up there again this morning for another look and there is another clearly well used hole at the side of the board I moved yesterday so I have struggled and heaved the beeping thing out of the run . My question is now what? The hens have had their cube in the same place for a couple of months with a hemcore bed (normally it's moved every week or so, but with the awful weather we have left it in the one place), they then have access to the outside in a large electric fenced area to free range. I could move the hens onto the concreat but they then would not have access to the outside as there electric fence would not be able to be put up. I am not overly worried about them having access at the current time, as it's only access to mud anyway and they can still have a hemcore bed in their run, which is the normal Omlet run, with 3 extensions, so is that big enough for eight hens? and would moving them be the right thing to do? I have read somewhere else on the forum rats can get through the bars of the run so moving them onto the concreat may not help anyway? What have others in a similar situation done. My neighbour says we should stick a hose pipe down the hole, deal with any that come out and the babies will meet with the water, sounds awful! In more ways than one!!! Sorry this is so long but any help would be appreciated! Thanks D&C Edited January 21, 2009 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Blimey poor you, can't help but someone else posted a rat problem "enoughs enough" you might find helpful suggestions there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 I'd suggest getting the council round to lay some baited traps, then laying some slabs under the run skirt all around the edges of the run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Rat poison works like a blood thinner, so when the rat squeezes itself through a tiny hole, like on the run, it will bleed to death. So if your rats are going into the run through the gaps,then thats a good thing, as the poison will work. I have the opposite problem - my rats can just wabder in to my chicken shed as they please so poison isn't as effective. I think I need some snappy traps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Would Chilli the cat oblige? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogs and chickens Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 Hi, Thanks for your replies, we will have to resort to the council option if nothing else works but very expensive, as it's not domestic garden, the hen's are on our agricultural land which we swoped with our neighbour for garden land, we ended up with a much bigger garden, but has it's down sides! Putting paving slabs round under the run skirt would not help as one of the rat holes is right in the middle of the run!!!! We don't have a cat and although next doors cat is much too interested in our chooks it does not cross the electric fence! Poison is a no go as apparently if you put poison down the holes the rats come out and pull the poison with them then the chooks might eat it ! We will be moving the chooks tomorrow and worming them and giving their run/cube a really good clean. They will go on the concreat with paving slabs on top of the run skirt just to make sure and then we will put poison down round the run, in guttering pipe so our dogs can't eat it, plus traps. As for the rats in their holes what to do.........? I can't enjoy my girls with the rats it's just horrid, I hope we come up with a solution soon. D&C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 How about one of those poison boxes that has the poison in blocks threaded on to a rod? they go in the box and eat that in situ so can't drag it out of the hole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEAN Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I have read about eradibait which claims to only kill rats & mice and no other animals. Anyone ever tried that??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Would Chilli the cat oblige? He does his best Bless him, but he is spending a lot of time indoors these days. He has had a few though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I have read about eradibait which claims to only kill rats & mice and no other animals. Anyone ever tried that??? Have got some, but yet to try it, sorry! Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerrie Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Hello, After reading all of the posts on this topic I have come up with 3 ideas to try to stop the rat problem before they start. 1st putting the eglu and run on the concrete patio and putting either wood chip/hemcore in the run or a mixture of both, 2nd putting the eglu and run on slabs on the grass with the same materials in the run or 3rd making a fixed woodchip run for eglu and run. Which do people think-I'm at the point that I can't see the woods for the trees! Thanks Kerrie Ruby Isabelle Daisy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&T Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Hello, After reading all of the posts on this topic I have come up with 3 ideas to try to stop the rat problem before they start. 1st putting the eglu and run on the concrete patio and putting either wood chip/hemcore in the run or a mixture of both, 2nd putting the eglu and run on slabs on the grass with the same materials in the run or 3rd making a fixed woodchip run for eglu and run. Which do people think-I'm at the point that I can't see the woods for the trees! If helps, we have option 2, and works for us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 We have ours on bark chips that are surrounded by old scaffold planks with a brick path down one side. We had a rat last winter living in one of the compost bins. Then in the early summer we had a huge one that set our security light off one night by running under the curved bit of the base of the Eglu into the run getting the food and running out again. That night we let the cats out and we also realised that we had left our sonic rat repeller unplugged when we had mown the lawn a few days earlier. We bought the sonic thing when we had the rat in the compost bin. We haven't seen a rat since so we think it may work, we have also put chicken wire under the front of the Eglu which sits on slabs and we have slabs under the edge of the run skirt which fits snuggly inside the scaffold planks. We keep all the food in a metal bin in the summerhouse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogs and chickens Posted January 21, 2009 Author Share Posted January 21, 2009 We have now moved the hens over the weekend on to the concreat, we have steralised the run and the cube. We have as I had said that we would put hencore in the run. WhatI found really upsetting was that the rats had actually chewed into th e cube!!! I took the whole thing to bits to clean and looked to see if any rat damage and could not see anything, it was only after it had been cleaned and we had a really good look again that the damage became apparent. If you open the sliding door at the top and look at the hens door it's at the bottom of there on the LHS. I'm hoping we will be able to repair it somehow - any ideas??? I think maybe a call to Omlet? Still unsure how to get rid of the rats, I am of course aware that just moving the hens does not get rid of rats. We have left the electric fence up where they used to be (so the dogs can't get there) and put traps and poison down the holes. We also flooded the holes but nothing came out so we are thinking that they probably do not live in those holes they were just a means to get the food! Apparently you can buy iluminating rat gel which the little darling pick up on there feet and then you can follow to know where they go, it's quite expensive but maybe wort it in the long run. I have put the chooks on flubenvet to clear out any nasties from their system and we have been throwing the eggs away this week. Having read the ingrediants list I don't fancy some of those things being in my diet, does anyone know how long it takes to work it's way through their system? Thanks for replies Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 There is no egg withdrawal with a normal dose of Flubenvet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsallen08 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Hiya I saw a rat in our hen and rabbit enclosure about 2 weeks ago. We also keep the compost up there and did wonder if the rat was living up there! Euurrrggh! Our neighbour also keeps chickens and she had seen one running over the back of her garden but she then found the 'nest' under her run! This weekend we did the same as you and moved all our bunnies and hens down to the grass and patio area of the garden and baited and trapped all of the top area. Nothing has been caught or seen dead yet and the traps havent even moved or gone off! Grr. Our neighbours have blocked all the nest holes and poisoned all that side too. What a nightmare! You have our sympathy but you seem to be doing all the right things, its just a case of trial and error I think with the bait/traps! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 If you open the sliding door at the top and look at the hens door it's at the bottom of there on the LHS. I'm hoping we will be able to repair it somehow - any ideas??? I think maybe a call to Omlet? May I suggest that you email some photos to james@omlet.co.uk; I am sure that, as the designer of the product, he will be able to come up with something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogs and chickens Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 There is no egg withdrawal with a normal dose of Flubenvet. Yes, I know that I just don't want any part of that product in my diet, so would like to know how long it takes for the wormer to get out of the chickens system. I have read it takes a month is this correct? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogs and chickens Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 If you open the sliding door at the top and look at the hens door it's at the bottom of there on the LHS. I'm hoping we will be able to repair it somehow - any ideas??? I think maybe a call to Omlet? May I suggest that you email some photos to james@omlet.co.uk; I am sure that, as the designer of the product, he will be able to come up with something. Thanks I will try doing that. I don't like the idea that the rats can get in the cube when ever they take a fancy, although I guess with them now being on the concreat it's more difficult, although I have read that rats can fit through the run bars ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
