Single hen

[Busybird]

Since discovering that our chicken garden had become a rats playground each day at dusk we have been doing our best to eradicate the pests. I have 3 enclosed bait boxes permanently in place and when the chickens retire to the Eglu we close the door, take in the food and set 2 traps. So far we have 1 dead rat and 1 injured but still too many live ones.

 

My concern is that at Easter we are going away for a week. When we have gone away before I have left 2 grubs full of pellets in the run and the Eglu door remains open all the time. With this arrangement I only need to arrange for someone to come in midweek to top up the pellets and change the water.

 

However, with the rats around not only are the pellets going to be eaten more quickly but I am concerned that the number of rats that could appear could harm the chickens in the open Eglu

 

Can anyone please offer any advise as to what I can do?

[OwenLdn]

Hey there,

 

I sympathise with your problem- rats are a real problem at times. Although touch wood we haven’t seen any here yet (that doesn't mean there aren’t any!)

 

Is there a way you could protect the run about better- perhaps place slabs around the run? Can rats squeeze between the bars of an eglu/cube?

 

I think your hens will be fine for a week- rats are only likely tog et nasty if there arent alternative food sources.

 

Out of interest how did you know you had rats- did you just see them one day? Perhaps I haven’t noticed the signs. I know there a rat in next doors garden as the dog chases it back under their decking so im sure they come into our garden. So I like you bring the food in at night- although spilt food is still a problem.

 

Good luck and try not to worry when your away- enjoy your holiday!

 

Owen

[Egluntyne]

Invest in a treadle feeder? Costly, but I rate mine.

 

The hens have to get used to it though, so you need to prop it open for a few days so that they know where to feed.

[Busybird]

I suspected a rat problem when tunnels started appearing under the slabs that the Eglu sits on into the soil that the run is on (I have since stuffed bagged poison down the tunnels and blocked them). Then I started seeing the beasties running around the garden at dusk. One evening when I got home after dark there was a rat jumping in and out of the grub I now try to get home well before dark and bring the grub in as soon as the chooks retire to the Eglu. We are going through a lot fewer pellets since I have been doing this.

 

I think that I have rats under my shed (I have stuffed bagged poison under there as well) and that they also come in from next door where I suspect they live under some decking.

 

Do you think I should move the Eglu and run onto a totally paved area while I am away? I was reluctant to do this as they would not be able to scratch around or dust bathe for a week. Would accepting a rat infestation while I am away be better than this?

 

My son tells me that rats can squeeze through a gap the size of a 50 pence piece so could get through the Eglu run bars. Seeing the size of the beast we caught I find this hard to believe. What does anyone else think?

[Busybird]

The treadle feeder looks like a good idea but doesn't look as if it would sensibly fit in a standard Eglu run.

[Egluntyne]

Aaah yes, sorry, I was thinking cube.

[C&T]

We covered the run in chicken wire, attached with cable ties. And then there is a taupaulin over that...

 

We didn't use expensive chicken wire, but it did stop the rats getting in... They haven't attempted to nibble their way through it. (We also laid poison down at the same time, so the combination of the two meant the chickens kept the food to themselves...)

 

The run doesn't look as pretty as before, but you can't really see it. And no Rats means for us it is worth it.

 

Not sure if this is something you would consider?

[Busybird]

The chicken wire we have is less dense than the Eglu run. Despite my son's assertions I find it hard to believe that the large rats in my garden could get through the run bars without tunneling but I don't know for sure.

 

I could put the run on the slabbed area and put an old washing up bowl of soil inside the run for dustbathing. Do you think this would be okay for a week?

[feemcg]

I would def put the run on your slabbed area.....and don't worry about the dustbathing, they could do without for a week.

[chickencam]

It might be worth giving a sonic rat repeller device in a nearby shed you can get plug in ones and battery versions. We only had one rat living in a compost bin over the winter 2007/8 near our summerhouse and the only time we have seen a rat since was when we forgot to plug it back in after mowing the lawn one time.

 

OH got ours from Maplins I think.

[jlo]

The chicken wire we have is less dense than the Eglu run. Despite my son's assertions I find it hard to believe that the large rats in my garden could get through the run bars without tunneling but I don't know for sure.

 

I could put the run on the slabbed area and put an old washing up bowl of soil inside the run for dustbathing. Do you think this would be okay for a week?

 

I am sure that the dust bath would be ok. My run has been on the patio with hemcore and a couple of washing up bowls filled with sand for the winter and that has been fine.

 

On the rat bit - OH saw a rat inside the run that had some difficulty squeezing out. This made me worried as I was planning on starting to keep the door of the Eglu open and did not want ratty getting in to scare the girls during the night.

 

I am not sure if it is the same rat that keeps coming back that is immune to the poison that I keep putting down or whether I have a real infestation? I have seen a rat hanging around the outisde of the run close to where the mash spills but personally haven't seen it in the run. Yuck yuck yuck - I hate the things and even typing this is giving me the shivers!

 

I think that I may try some more wire over the run once I get it back down the garden and start to leave th door open.

[Egluntyne]

I could put the run on the slabbed area and put an old washing up bowl of soil inside the run for dustbathing. Do you think this would be okay for a week?

 

Sounds ideal.

[Busybird]

Thanks for all the replies. I feel a little bit better about going away now. This forum is invaluable for advice and reassurance

[Plum]

If you put the bedding quite deep - I use a bale of hemcore then they have plenty to scratch in and I found they like digging the dustbath but actually dustbath in the hemcore.

You can cut branches and twigs and throw them in, it will make it more interesting for them to scratch around in without attracting rats.

[chickencam]

What do you do about egg collection if you only have someone going in midweek?

[Guest]

Hi

 

Make sure you are loading the bait box up with the right quantity. Mars bars with poison in the bait box ..really glue it all together and mix it up(obviously with gloves safety etc). So they have to eat the poison too. The loose poison i use I was surprised that it was quite a lot to put in. The baby rats are quite small. Just keep the boxes going , you will never get rid of them completely but best to keep on top of them.

If they have a historical run area they do tend to keep returning to it.

Agree if u can get them onto a hard standing would be best.

 

Some of the poisons the rats then look for water to drink so could be worth putting half a bucket with third full of water in it as once they are in its hard for them to get out & they will drown

 

Good luck indie

 

re a neighbour recommended the mars bar and it worked for me & its just certain times of year u will see them more frequently.

I use to blame my ducks ie food for the rats but even when the ducks died i still had rats around!

[Guest]

Neosorexa is what i have used and there is a web site Ratbait that sell lockable bait boxes for £5 approx plus poisons etc indie

[Busybird]

What do you do about egg collection if you only have someone going in midweek?

 

When we have been away before the eggs have been picked up after 2 or 3 days by whoever is topping up the pellets and water. The chooks just keep laying and haven't yet damaged the eggs already in the nesting box.

 

We are using a loose rat bait in the 3 enclosed bait boxes as recommended by our local agricultural suppliers. Having bought them we will leave those in place although so far there has only been evidence of one being used and no sign of poisoned rats.

 

We did manage to trap another rat this weekend so have now dispatched 3 in total.

[Flo]

I saw my first rat in the garden yesterday afternoon, then in the run at about 10pm when I went to shut the eglu door.

 

I think they got into the run through a gap between the front and side panel but I'm not sure.

 

The other problem is he seemed to come under the fence from next door who has a big patch of decking! I'm not sure whether this was a lone rat on an adventure or a whole family who have set up home next door.

 

I was thinking of speaking to next door and then perhaps calling the council pest control. Any suggestions? And any clues to look out for to see if they have been in the compost bin? I have a plastic barrell style one

 

Flo

[Guest]

I find keeping the bait box topped up will keep the rat population down u wont always see them and they generally will look for water and die somewhere else..luckily

I do sometimes move the bait box along ie a wall or fence.

Any food will attract them.

They are always around I just dont want them indoors! Can tolerate mice and happy to trap those but a rat....brave to trap that

 

I find the loose poison best....I am always amazed at the large quantity of snails that live in my rat boxes quite happily amongst all the poison!! V bizarre

 

indie

[Busybird]

We have 7 plastic compost bins at the bottom of the garden and had rats in those before we had chickens. We know they are there by the tunnels they dig at the bottom of the bin to gain access. We have caught several with traps placed on the composting material at the top of the bin.

 

I can't see that we can do much more about them as we access the compost by lifting the bin off the composted material so wouldn't want a bin with a mesh bottom.

[C&T]

I can't see that we can do much more about them as we access the compost by lifting the bin off the composted material so wouldn't want a bin with a mesh bottom.

 

We had rats in the compost, and having a small garaden, not something we could ignore.

 

We only have one compost bin, so we stood it on some wire mesh. Folded the mesh over a couple of times into a square a bit bigger than the bin. Put the mesh on the ground, and then carefully placed the bin on top. The weight of the contents have (so far!) kept everything in place, and we can lift the bin off as and when we want to use the contents.

 

The mesh is a bit like a skirt - so works in the same way the omlet runs work with their anti-digging skirt.

 

No rats so far.... Although I'll probably be posting next week, moaning they have found another way in...!

[Gallina]

I have expensive wooden bins with thick wooden lids. But when the rats can't get in at the bottom, they stand on top of the lids and gnaw holes in the lids, which is worse.

 

They will find a way in unless you do something. I strongly recommend traps inside closed bins, as they will only catch rats. If you leave the traps outside, they will catch birds.

 

I sometimes put a trap in the Eglu run at night, but it scares me as I am always afraid that the hens will somehow get out in the night, or that one dozy morning I will let them out before removing the trap.

[Busybird]

We only have one compost bin, so we stood it on some wire mesh. Folded the mesh over a couple of times into a square a bit bigger than the bin. Put the mesh on the ground, and then carefully placed the bin on top. The weight of the contents have (so far!) kept everything in place, and we can lift the bin off as and when we want to use the contents.

 

I never even thought of doing that Such a simple solution. Now just need to get some rat proof wire mesh for when i empty the bins