Single hen

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Get those traps ready .

[Seagazer]

Yikes

 

At a park near here we used to go and feed the squirrels (until one bit me ) but you would see rats running amongst them horrible things. You had to really pay attention to make sure you didn't end up feeding a rat!

[little chickadee]

I'll have a word with my cat, he is very popular with the neighbours because of his hunting expertise. often seen dragging a rat the same size as him down the road

[Blackrocksrock]

Hope they keep them down there!

[sparkysmum]

Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuk Hate the things . If I see one not sure what I'd do, revolting Ax

[Alis girls]

My friends MIL (shes totally bonkers MIL not my friend ) has one behind her cooker or is it in it? I have visions of you opening door and a rat mopping its brow and saying "God its hot in here" My friends a veggie and I told her to remind MIL this in case she cooks it

[Ana's flock]

Rats are just squirrels with bold tails and bad PR.

[Guest]

I can't bear them! It's that tail, as well as all the filthy diseases they carry. I read a garden wildlife book once and the author was saying encourage rats into the garden?!!! Yeah right. The bloke must have been bonkers. We had one get into the loft when we had the cold snap and the damage it done! Chewed through light cables, even tried to chew through the ceiling to get into the house! Would have had a nasty shock though if it had with three greyhounds in the house. Excellent ratters. One of mine caught a rat once and it was dead within seconds, however days later when we were stroking her we felt something hard under the skin on her chest. We poked about and pulled out a rat claw where it had obviously tried to scrab at her whilst she was killing it! Filthy creatures. Don't tend to use poisons though in case the dogs get hold of it, or catch a rat that has ingested it, or any of the owls that visit the garden, or the stoats that live at the back of our house.

[Guest]

There used to be an annual boat race in the docks here in Ipswich which a friend used to participate in. One year he fell in the water and later contracted Weil's disease.

[feemcg]

Wait and see........chook keepers will get the blame

[The Dogmother]

My ex once had Weils after a white water canoeing competition.

 

Both my cats are excellent hunters. Ruby the lurcher is very keen on all things small and furry, but I have yet to see her in action; your hounds will have to give her lessons Andy!

[Guest]

I don't think Miss Ruby will need any lessons mate Especially with her impressive lineage, including some excellent ratting dogs. Hopefully the time will never come, but if it does, i've no doubt she'll do the business very effectively I've been reading about that place inundated with rats!! I wouldn't sleep at night! My three would think all their birthdays and Christmas's had come altogether! I'd love to see them in action amongst that lot. And Miss Ruby would be invited along too for good measure

[Guest]

It's great to see them work as a pack/team. There's like a telepathy involved. The only one i would fear for if ever she caught a rat is Jet, because she tends to soft mouth. The other two and my previous (Sonny's litter sister) Ruthie, take no prisoners. The two girls (Jet and Kristin tend to herd the prey though, then Sonny goes in for the kill, and has proven to be just as efficient in killing vermin as his sister was. She was amazing to watch. She still holds the record. We have quite a large garden and there was vermin half way across it. She took off at break neck speed (45MPH) and before it could reach the fence she had it and it was dead in a split second.

[The Dogmother]

Sounds very effective!

 

I fellow dog walker has working dogs including an old whirrier; he's offered to take us along when Ruby is bigger. At the moment, she has to content herself with putting the wind up the fat wood pigeons and squirrels in the park!

[Guest]

Gives an idea of what my three are like in action Claret:

 

 

No rat would stand a chance

[The Dogmother]

I watched some brilliant lure coursing and lurcher & terrier racing to lures at last year's Royal Show at Stoneleigh.

 

My last girl was brilliant at rabbiting but not really at ratting. The previous dog was though. It will be interesting to see how Ruby develops, my main concern at the moment is that she is less keen with the cats

 

Better stop talking about gory stuff though

[leighs chickens]

I s'pose it's where you live how you look on rats! I back onto open farm land And we used to have rats in the garden on the bird table etc and it would freak me out but then I choose to live here and they are part off nature - they're not horrid dirty sewer rats

 

How ever, since the arrival of Sparkle and Arnie the killer cats we don't see them anymore so hopefully they'll keep them at bay ???

[Chook n Boo Mum]

I s'pose it's where you live how you look on rats! I back onto open farm land And we used to have rats in the garden on the bird table etc and it would freak me out but then I choose to live here and they are part off nature - they're not horrid dirty sewer rats

 

I too back on to open farm land & have a drainage ditch which runs along the side of my garden, and whilst I accept that they are around & always will be, it doesn't stop me getting the air rifle out at every opportunity! I'm not a goremonger, but it is strangely satisfying when I can stop one in it's tracks from the office window!

 

Since the beasts have taken up residence in the compost heap it's not so easy to dispatch them this way as the CH is too far from the house to get a decent aim, also the chooks, dogs or children are liable to be wandering around........ I'm trying to encourage them back to the birdtable with limited success

 

They may not be horrid dirty sewer rats but they are disease carrying vermin & I for one do not want them sharing my chooks food, nor endangering my animals or children.

 

BTW, I have suggested the purchase of a rat-killer feline, DH won't have it, and knowing my luck I'd end up with the softest house cat ever

 

Sha x

[The Dogmother]

How about a ratting terrier Sha?

[Chook n Boo Mum]

How about a ratting terrier Sha?

 

Not sure I'd get the green light on another hound - ratting or otherwise !

 

Sha x

[Guest]

My Kristin did me proud today. I could see her sniffing round the wood pile and scrabbing to get at something. I moved some logs and a rat shot out, she grabbed it and killed it as quick as lightning, then another which she eradicated just as quickly. They had built a nest in the wood pile. Oh well, not for any longer

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Damien, where do you and Kristin live........fancy a day out?!

 

Sha x

[Guest]

Damien, where do you and Kristin live........fancy a day out?!

 

Sha x

 

Hi Sha, we live on the outskirts of Ipswich. I would love a day out sometime with Kristin (also have two others who are keen hunters). Kristin i would say was the most deadly of my three though. Sighthound is a misnomer. Their sense of smell and hearing are equally acute, but seemingly more so with her. Walking in the woods and her ears are constantly erect, and suddenly she will stop and look up into the trees and stand transfixed staring, as she's seen a sqirrel or bird in the trees that you otherwise would not have noticed. And you dread a squirrel (or rabbit) running in front of your path whilst she's on her lead, because she practically pulls your arm out of it's socket. We have a long drive and the front fence is quite a few feet away, but God forbid anyone who passes, man or beast, because she will hear them, even if she is lazing on the bed in the back bedroom, and rushes out like a rottweiler, absolutely furious that they had the nerve to come near HER property . Rabbits, rats and squirrels are like Janet Leighs to Norman Bates where Kristin is concerned What did you have in mind? Feel free to PM me.

 

My mate Sam(antha) and fellow greyhound owner, also lives in West Sussex (Copthorne).

Edited April 1, 2009 by Guest

[Old Speckled Hen]

Gives an idea of what my three are like in action Claret:

 

 

No rat would stand a chance

 

Damien, what are they chasing?

[Guest]

Gives an idea of what my three are like in action Claret:

 

 

No rat would stand a chance

 

Damien, what are they chasing?

 

Hi DA. Those on the clip are not my three i hasten to add, i was just giving an idea of what my three are like in action. What you were viewing there is what is known as 'Lure coursing' I know my three hunt, and i hate live coursing, strange as it might seem, because to me that is unfair and outright cruel; when live animals are put into an enclosed area where there is no chance of escape for that being chased. In my garden i leave all entry/exit holes open, then it is down to nature as far as i'm concerned.

 

Many other sight hound owners like to see their dogs in action, but feel the same. I don't know what they were using in the youtube clip, but it could be anything, rag etc as long as it moves quickly along the ground. Sighthounds will be stimulated by anything small and moving up to half a mile away, which shows how keen their eyesight is! Even a leaf fluttering off a tree, or a piece of rag being rapidly dragged across the ground. However, having said that, as said the term sight hound to me is a gross misnomer, because their hearing and sense of smell is equally acute, and i think it is their equally acute sense of smell that makes them such great hunters, and they are so quick to learn. The human owner of greyhounds is the Alpha Male/Female and they decide what is acceptable for the pack to hunt. The majority of owners totally discourage it, but mine have learnt that vermin is acceptable, as is rags being dragged along the ground, leaves fluttering off trees etc, but small dogs, cats and chickens a definite no-no. I've socialised mine with small dogs, cats and chickens and their acute sense of smell allows them to differentiate as to that which is not acceptable. The other day all three of mine were off lead and a woman was walking her Chihuahua. She was excellent and obviously wasn't a panicky person who quickly scooped her dog up in her arms (one of the worst things you can do), and just walked on by with a pleasant smile. As for my three?.... Wasn't interested. Just gave it a friendly sniff then carried on walking

 

However, i hasten to add not all greys are like that, especially when fresh from the track and need to be socialised/trained.

Edited April 1, 2009 by Guest