LilyintheValley Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Hello I am new to this forum. I have 8 chickens - I started 18 months ago with a cube and walk-in run and 2 Gingernut Rangers and 2 Miss Pepperpots from Omlet. A year ago I added 4 ex-commercial hens who were very sorry-looking ad bedraggled when they first came but soon plumped up and became glossily gorgeous. A few days ago I noticed a tunnel which seemed to have been dug up into the underneath of the cube. I've not noticed anything amiss, all chooks seem fine (except one who is moulting but otherwise well) but egg production has gone down a bit. I tried to dig above the tunnel outside the cube today and it does seem to go for quite a way but I have no idea where from or how far. I've tried to block it with a couple of bricks but I'm not convinced my attempts will be very effective. Any ideas anyone? Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaKiw1 Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 I'm afraid it sounds as if you may have got rats burrowing! There are lots of posts about the signs of this and how to react on the Forum. You'll probably feel awful if it is rats but in reality they are all around us although normally unseen and not just chicken-related. The most immediate thing is to make sure you bring food in at night and try and identify their routes (often in from neighbouring gardens) and then place traps/bait etc. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinsk Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 It does sound like rats. Bringing in food and water at night will help, check for eggs as regularly as you can and make sure they are removed, our rats, and magpies, got a taste for eggs. Pouring gravel down the holes seems to put them off for a bit, but you need to keep topping it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LilyintheValley Posted November 18, 2014 Author Share Posted November 18, 2014 Thank you for helpful replies. I did suspect rats but have seen no evidence, and I have 2 cats who love bringing mice, voles, moles, even bats home to play with but I've never seen them with a rat. I also have a very bouncy Golden Retriever who helpfully widdles all around the run when I shut the chooks up at night. I rather hoped her scent would keep them away but seemingly not. The gravel idea is good - I'll give it a go. Obviously I'd rather not go down the poison route with my cats out & about, but bringing the food & water in at night is definitely something I will do from now on. I check for eggs frequently during the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Yep, it sounds like rats. I would bring in all food at night, block the holes and put bait boxes around the site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoeBunny Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Please take action.. I lost 3 girls and my lovely boy to a rat attack this morning. No tunnels or rat runs yesterday, so they must have done it overnight and killed them just after I let them out. Please don't be in the same boat I am today, the carnage left behind was horrendous xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Oh no that's awful. Were they bantams? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoeBunny Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Oh no that's awful. Were they bantams? No, large fowl araucana.. I'm devastated! Heads bitten off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoeBunny Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 I did wonder if it could have been a polecat..tunnel was only 3 inches across Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Gosh how awful for you. Are you sure it was a rat, really sorry to ask but how did it happen, were they in the coop? Again I'm really sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoeBunny Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 (edited) They were in a classic run.. Sadly it was only on slabs around the edges as it was a temporary coop whilst we were awaiting delivery of an omlet wir (been on order since mid Oct) so had to keep them separate from the rest of the flock. Rat burrowed a small hole from the corner where the housing clip is, underneath the edge of the house and immerged inside the run. Birds were dead inside My cube is fully on slabs and the birds in there were fine. My other classic has the rabbit underwire in the run, they were fine too. Edited November 19, 2014 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoeBunny Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Couldn't have been a fox, far too small a hole.. But possibly a weasel or polecat I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Zoebunny, I'm so sorry about what has happened, that must have been a terrible shock for you xxx Think I might get some bait traps now I have more girls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Good heavens! I'm so shocked, I have never heard of a rat attack while hens are in the run. I found a partial two inch tunnel under out tool storage, I checked and it didn't seem to go very far maybe about 6 inches then came to an end. I filled in with stones and will keep an eye on it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoeBunny Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 It was awful.. So advice to the original poster or anyone else who reads this please do not underestimate the damage rats can do. They CAN kill your birds so please be vigilant and take the necessary precautions be it removing or securing food or placing bait boxes down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoeBunny Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 And if you can make sure your birds have a slabbed floor where possible. Mine were on one in until 2 days ago and now they've gone. I will never make the same 'mistake' again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Sorry to hear of your loss ZoeBunny, sounds like it might be a ferret or polecat to me; the injuries are more indicative of a fox attack, but you say the hole it too small... Rats will take chicks, but will rarely attack fully grown birds, much less behead them; that is usually fox work. Guys, if you find rat holes, bung them with poisoned bait before blocking the up, then add bait boxes all around the area - it is the time of year for vermin to be coming closer to food sources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 I'd say definitely more likely to be a stoat or polecat than a rat. My mum has a fat rat that lives under her chicken house and runs out every day when she moves the house. The only damage the rat ever does is to run into the chickens in a panic when the house is moved - it's quite funny! On the other hand we've had to rescue them from a stoat attack more than once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoeBunny Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 I've just been back down the garden to check on my remaining birds and despite raking over the ground and re-siting the classic in question (to clear up the mess) it looks like whatever got in this morning has already returned and dug another tunnel in. Of course, there are no birds in there but I'll take a photo of the hole in the daylight tomorrow so you can help me determine whether it was a rat or something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Good idea, see if you can put something in the photo for scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Some cheap slabs would be the best option I had an adult call duck killed and partly eaten by rats, it was horrible to find, the rats got through concrete A friend loses hers regularly to rats but sadly wont take any steps to protect the birds and just buys more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LilyintheValley Posted November 20, 2014 Author Share Posted November 20, 2014 Oh my goodness, how awful! I didn't consider that the rats might hurt the girls, I just didn't like the idea of them being there. I asked Dan who does my garden yesterday & he says they seem to be living under my decking (which is common apparently). My lovely Pom Pom (Golden Retriever) has been fascinated with the decking today, there is definitely something underneath. She's not really bothered with it before so hopefully they haven't been there long. We only had the decking built in July... Anyway Dan measured up the cube & walk-in run and is going to price up slabs and concrete for me, and I've phoned the council as well as another pest control guy. Just waiting for them to get back to me. I've been bringing the glugs & grubs in at night (what a pain that is), not sure what else I can do for now. I think I'll shut the pop hole at night which I don't usually do, but I can't imagine it would keep a determined rat out. Thank you for your replies. I'm so sorry to the one who has lost her chickens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahjayne Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Can the rats squeeze through the bars on the omlet runs? I'm assuming they can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LilyintheValley Posted November 20, 2014 Author Share Posted November 20, 2014 I have no idea, but I have read somewhere that mice can squeeze through a hole with the diameter of a ballpoint pen, but I don't know if that's just an urban myth... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Yes, decking is a nightmare where vermin is concerned. I got slabs for under my run from Freecycle - they cost me nothing, and I laid them in a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
