essexhen Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 We've recently moved house - and today noticed a couple of round holes next to the run, they are at least 5cm in diameter so I'm guessing either rat or stoat? very worried for the hens if it's a stoat and quite annoyed if it's a rat. Any advice on what we should be doing? (I'd upload a photo of the hole but I'm not sure how) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redcharlie43 Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 Its likely to be a rat i'm afraid. Am having the same problem. A hole appeared yesterday. I put soil down it again and another has appeared 5 inches next to it. It's war now. Am about to set yet another trap and have ordered a night vision camera!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essexhen Posted December 9, 2012 Author Share Posted December 9, 2012 I suspected it's probably rats (yuck) but how to deal with them? I'm thinking man with terrier? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Sounds like rats. I put bait blocks in the holes and covered them over when we had them. Make sure you bring the food and water in every night, I also have bait stations down permanently now. Filling the holes in didn't work for us they just dug another one. It took me about 6 weeks to get rid of them, touchwood I haven't seen any signs for about three weeks but remain vigilant. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auntielizzie Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Sounds like a rat to me too - sounds exactly like what happened when we had a rat visitor. I put down a bait box, which did the trick after a couple of weeks as we found a dead rat in our (wooden) garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimmyCustard Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 My sister in law had a rat attack during the night and they ate one of her girls whilst she was roosting Make sure you close your coop door at night so the rats cant get to your girls or any early laid eggs - they are awful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs_B Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 My sister in law had a rat attack during the night and they ate one of her girls whilst she was roosting Make sure you close your coop door at night so the rats cant get to your girls or any early laid eggs - they are awful That's a terrible story to hear about (your poor SIL!) but rats really are vile creatures I had a rat in the Eglu run this week and the girls went ballistic and it was all very distressing - thankfully the rat ran off and hasn't come back since (after I reinforced the parts it was getting in!) Bait boxes and filling in their holes has been the best way to rid of rats in my opinion and from what I have read! x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillybettybabs Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 A good working terrier will enjoy sorting those pesky things out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redcharlie43 Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 I have been fighting the rats for a week or so now. So far have only got 1 rat 1 robin and 4 mice . I have been letting the chickens free range so i could take their food out of the run and move it to the middle of the lawn. I thought if it was out in the open it would deter the rats. To my dismay i walked into the kitchen this afternoon to see a very fat large rat sitting helping itself to food from the grub! I have got 4 traps, only 2 of which have caught anything. I have also go a live squirrel/rat catcher which they have ignored. It is difficult to leave the traps out in the daylight as this means i have to shut the chickens in with their food thus making the traps less attractive to the rats and I also risk getting the robins etc. I have just got 2 bait boxes on amazon and at least I can leave these out all the time. Good luck with the rats. They are certainly giving me the run around! I am also shutting the cube door at night now so they can't get into the cube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackie45 Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Yes were have rats as well. We have half inch netting pinned to the ground but they got through a bit which had become loose. Got quite a surprise opening the door of the Eglu on Tuesday to find two rats under the roosting bars. The girls food is in a rat proof container but this week we are worming them so the food is in grubs. We have put bait down which has rapidly disappeared and today we found a rat dead by the compose bins. Yeppee one down but how many to go? Don't think the girls mind but we do!! Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillybettybabs Posted December 14, 2012 Share Posted December 14, 2012 Horrid things, I have had them jump at me in the farrowing barns in the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Posted December 14, 2012 Share Posted December 14, 2012 A year or two ago I went up to a local farm with tons of feed everywhere, and asked them what they did for rat control and they used a "rat man" He has been visiting me since (pretty expensive!) but I have learnt a lot. What he does Try to give them as little access to feed as possible (I use the spring pheasant feeders on legs wherever possible) Put the bait boxes down at the points where they are gaining access, but try to keep the boxes outside to k"Ooops, word censored!"ble them before they have got in (obviously this is after you have got rid of the current crop) Leave the boxes in situe as the rats won't use them at first. Once they are being used they will be good. Site the boxes so the rats can slink in and feel protected If you find a hole put grain type poison down it and then cover the entrance securely with earth and stamp down and make sure you can keep non target species away from it till the rat is dead. If the hole gets opened again repeat the exercise until it remains covered. Dont use the blocks as they may carry them around. Try to make sure the bait and box stay dry If poison is being taken keep topping it up, and if you think the rats have gone keep checking the bait stations preferably every few weeks and certainly not more than 6 weeks apart. In peak problem times such as harvest and wet/cold weather be especially vigilant. If rubbish and leaves are being put in the boxes then it is probably harvest mice rather than rats, but in any case look for droppings which are the same colour as the bait if it is being taken, but darkish brown if not. If the droppings look moist or shiny then you know they are fresh and the vermin are active - ones about the size of a woodlouse generally mean rats, small thin ones mice This is only what I have gleaned from what he does, so if someone knows better I am most interested. I don't like killing anything really, but rats are too expensive to keep feeding plus they have certainly killed and eaten ducklings of mine in the past. I don't think rats should have a singular, there is pretty well always more than one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
