Eglu Go With 2m Run For Sale

[auntielizzie]

The battle continues; just when you think you've got rid of them, they're back I got rid of my compost bin some while ago and I hadn't seen any sign of ratty/ratties until about a week and a half ago. Since then we've been playing a game of me moving slabs around and blocking off holes, and ratty trying to find another new way in - and of course, you know who's winning (not me!).

 

I have decided that this summer I will be having a slab base made for the run to sit on, but in the meantime I have put some poison out in a bait box a little way from the house. OH is determined that the rats won't go near it as it's too far away, but I don't want to put it too near the chicken coop. OH says I should leave a little bit of poison with some food next to the coop at night-time, which he thinks the rat will eat the next time it comes. He says that as it is coming expecting to find food, then it will soon find it and gobble it all up nicely.

 

I am really worried about doing this. What if the rat spreasd the poison (pellets) around and then my chickens eat some? Do you think this would be a really really bad idea (like I do )

[merlina]

I have a persistent rat (or two) that I don't seem able to get rid of

 

I'm starting to think I'll have to do what others have suggested and call in the professionals.

 

Personally, I'd rather do that than use poison myself. There are a lot of cats and owls around here and I would be utterly mortified if they were harmed because they ate a rat/mouse I'd poisoned.

 

I have snap traps in boxes like this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rentokil-PSE10-Enclosed-Rat-Trap-/360602708876?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Garden_Plants_Weed_Pest_Control_CV&hash=item53f598ab8c

around the garden. I've only managed to catch one rat though (and some mice)

 

If you were going to use poison, I'd use blocks rather than pellets for exactly the reason you say

 

I do bring the hens' food in every night now, which is a pain, but does seem to make the runs less interesting to the rats

[Lavenders_Blue]

We had a rat problem in the garden. The rats were here before the chickens so I'm pleased to say it was not our fault we got rats! However they did of course love the chicken food that got spilled all over the place. Next door neighbours didn't help as their idea of feeding the birds is putting out food s"Ooops, word censored!"s including roast chicken carcass! Not sure what sort of birds they were hoping to attract with that - crows maybe?

Anyway, they got the council rat man in who put down bait boxes in their garden. Cost = £50. We bought some bait boxes and poison blocks from the local feed store. Cost = £30. We also got a Grandpa's Feeder to make the chicken food inaccessible to rats.

The trick with bait boxes is to check them regularly (2x per week) and keep topping them up until no more is being taken. Also make sure there is no other food available for the rats, so that means no bird feeders and rat proofing the chicken food.

Our rats went, so it worked!