redcharlie43 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Following on from the last Post on the Rats and More rats when I found a dead rat in the feeder I have just gone out 30 minutes later to find another rat in the feeder and one underneath. The one in the feeder I managed to trap in there and now I don't know what to do. I have taken it out of the run and left it on its side so it can't get out but now I am not sure how to get it out and deal with it. I was thinking about wrapping a bin liner around the feeder and then opening it up with a stick and then closing the bag around the rat. Does anyone have any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heth1986 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Is this where the husband with a pellet gun comes in handy?! Eek! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redcharlie43 Posted April 4, 2013 Author Share Posted April 4, 2013 There were actually 2 live rats in there. I was panicking a bit and called the OH at work. He told me to empty the contents of the feeder and rats into an empty wheely bin and when he gets home he will get the gun out! Am now having a G&T to recover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Yikes ... I'd need a couple of G&Ts to recover from that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 There were actually 2 live rats in there. Well done for managing to empty it into the wheely bin, I don't think I could have done that. Chrissie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Yes, well done! There are a lot of rats around already this year. I am putting poison down outside of the run. It has been taken every day for almost a week before being left so I suspect more than one in my garden. The problem round by me isn't my chickens, it's all the takeaways with bad hygene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Well done! They would have been able to pick my screams up in space if that had happened to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newcountrygirl Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Sorry for laughing but it conjured up a wonderful picture. Shoot the blighters that's what i say!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Well done! They would have been able to pick my screams up in space if that had happened to me Me too! that made me laugh out loud, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redcharlie43 Posted April 4, 2013 Author Share Posted April 4, 2013 Feel a bit awful but my lovely OH has now done the evil deed with the gun. A bit embarrassed to admit I did scream and dropped the feeder into the wheely and then had to be brave and retrieve it with the rats running around. Hence the need for 2 G&T's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redcharlie43 Posted April 5, 2013 Author Share Posted April 5, 2013 Well I have just caught another live rat in the feeder and the OH has again got out his gun. So far we have now got 4 rats in 2 days. The company that sold the feeder says the feeder is not advertised as rat proof and should just keep vermin at bay It is by far the most effective rat trap I have ever used. The only downside is having to get rid of the live rats once caught but my lovely OH does that for me. I am going to leave it out for the next few days to see how many I can catch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlina Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 I'm sure I shouldn't laugh at your predicament, but this does make me giggle I'm almost tempted to get one as a rat trap! (except I wouldn't be able to kill them once I'd caught them) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suebee Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 ...... Sorry. I shouldn't laugh either, but it's so ridiculous isn't it! How's it supposed to be keeping vermin at bay if it's allowing them in? How are they getting into it anyway? Have they worked out that if enough of them stand on it, it'll open? Crikey, I hope you manage to sort the little blighters. What an absolute pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redcharlie43 Posted April 5, 2013 Author Share Posted April 5, 2013 Yes it is hilarious. Me and my OH might start marketing them as humane rat traps!! I have just caught another one. Thats 5 in 2 days!!! Much better than a normal trap. Basically the door on the feeder is easy to push in. I don't think the rats are heavy enough to trigger the treadle but can stand on it and easily push the door open. As the door is angled it is then impossible for them to get out until the door is opened either by a chicken or I guess another rat pushing in. I have set up my trail camera to see whats going on and have shut the chickens into the cube tonight so I can go out first thing in the morning and check if there are any trapped in it over night. I understand that the feeder stops the food being spilt around which may attract rats but I got a rather patronising e-mail back from the company I got it from explaining that the feeder is not rat proof and basically I need to cure my infestation first! They also helpfully explained that " unfortunately it has been known that a few large rats stepping onto the treadle will operate it as it only takes 300g for this to happen". Well I have just done a bit of research and it seems females tend to weigh around 250-450g while males can weigh between 400-800g. Hmmm it appears that one average rat will also activate the treadle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suebee Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 As the door is angled it is then impossible for them to get out until the door is opened either by a chicken or I guess another rat pushing in. Oh crikey! I can just imagine the poor chooks popping onto their treadle of a morning... Breakfast is served girls! How typical of the supplier to stick to their unreasonable guns too. I suppose you could make the 'rat trap' less humane by re-siting it and putting poison in it. (Yuk... How awful. Poor you... Good luck with it all) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
good_egg Posted April 6, 2013 Share Posted April 6, 2013 So impressed. I would have freaked! Perhaps you could move the feeder out of the run and put bait in it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redcharlie43 Posted April 6, 2013 Author Share Posted April 6, 2013 Well have caught another blighter this afternoon. The camera picked up only 1 rat last night so I am hoping it is the one I have just caught. Will set the camera up tonight and see if it catches any more on camera. It was strange though as the rats are only attracted to one of the feeders and ignore the other one. The chickens were shut up in the run today as I was doing some gardening and didn't want them under my feet. I went to the tip and let them out when I got back and realised that there was a rat in the feeder. The chickens were just using the other feeder. They seem to be helping me in the rat catching as if they had stood on the treadle the rat could have escaped. Clever girls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..lay a little egg for me Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Perhaps the rats can smell the fact that other rats have been there so they choose that feeder as being the safe one! After all it must be the place to go if so many other rats have been there before! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 We have just bought several treadle feeders to replace the grubs in the main run. I'll be weary about looking in them now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...