4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Lone Ranger]

I've just spotted that a rat has dug under the eglu and seems to have set up home. Before I go out and spend good money on one of the many ways of despatching these clever little "Ooops, word censored!"s, I was just wondering if they actually did any harm - or were a danger to the chooks in any way ?

 

I've got a 'live and let live' attitude to all things natural, so if there is a real problem I'm missing here, please let me know !!

 

Thanks,

 

Dave.

[Yolky]

Rats carry diseases. While they are in the grub helping themselves to the chooks food they will be urinating over the rest of it, the chooks will then eat it the next day. Also there won't be just one, rats breed like mad, there will be loads and they will be using your run as free food time.

 

One thing to do to start off is remove the grub and clean up under it every night at bed time.

[Lone Ranger]

OK, Thanks Yolky - I knew there was probably a good reason. Other than removing food, how could i 'bait' the rats without any danger of the chooks getting to the poison or even a deceased rat ?

[WarrensWorld]

OK, Thanks Yolky - I knew there was probably a good reason. Other than removing food, how could i 'bait' the rats without any danger of the chooks getting to the poison or even a deceased rat ?

 

Rats are very clever, they like to run around with their sides touching a wall or hedge.

Get yourself a Breakback Trap. Do not set it, put a 1/4" square piece of SPAM on the trip. Do this where the Rat can get at it, and the chooks can't, also that the trap can operate freely. On the 5th day put the SPAM on the trip and set the trap. Result one quickly deceased rodent.

Forget all you've ever heard about cheese on traps. If you want to catch a Rat use SPAM, if you want to catch a MOUSE use Cadburys CARAMEL.

 

I spent 14 years of my life catching, poisoning and shooting all manner of nasties.

 

Has for the Fox, I've gassed, shot and, tagged them with MAFF.

[welshnik]

Got to agree with mouse comment - we left 2 slabs (one Cadburys Dairy Milk, one Caramel) in a bedside cabinet after Christmas and come January we realised we'd acquired a little friend, who was coming up under the bath just to get the chocolate!! First night of the trap (and the aforementioned Caramel!) worked a treat......!

[mrsallen08]

We use peanut butter for mouse traps but choc would be a lot less messy.

 

We also have rats

We thought they were living in the compost bin so emptied that and concreted underneath. Put all the compost (2years worth) back in. Now they seem to have moved 2metres along under a bush. All of this is in the WIR so didnt want to use poison...

 

We have heard the bicarbonate of soda will kill rats? Is this safe to use around rabbits and hens?

[Chucky Mama]

I like WarrensWord's tips on rat catching. I will certainly try it next time we have one. We did try using a trap baited with peanut butter placed in our compost last time we had on but managed to kill 2 robins . We then tried using it under some carpet so that the birds couldn't get to it but they were too cunning to take the bait.

[Lone Ranger]

Thanks Warrens World, have just bought the trap and the spam, so will set it up under a big flowerpot with a hole in one side (so hopefully I won't catch anything else) !!

 

Great advice gratefully received.

[BocBoc]

Mice do indeed love chocolate - we brought one home one weekend after a camping trip!

 

Darn rodents - I hope you manage to get it sorted without any harm coming to your chooks.

[Minky]

A friend or mine had a smallholding and a fair few chickens. Rats got into her hen house and ate some of the hens alive when they were in bed, so get them rodents gone!!

[Lone Ranger]

Thanks to all - just shows how great a site this is, that when you need help & advice it comes in spades !!

 

Operation 'Spamalot' is underway. Have flushed them out ( think there were 2) plus have now put a layer of chicken wire under the eglu - which may not deter them - but will make life pretty uncomfortable for them if they come back.

 

Spam is on the trap and I'll give it a few days before setting it.

 

Thanks again to all.

[Egluntyne]

Article on dealing with rats **here**

[tidygirlsuk]

Much to my husbands delight we are buying a gun.