eve Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Just been watching my ladies from the window as raining and a rat was eating there pellets. Help what do i do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 The first stage is to find out how it got into the run and block it off. This may be an entry point quite high up as rats can climb, but usually it is at ground level. If it persists it is down to trapping it or poisoning it. Risk with poison is your hens eating it, even second hand. If a mouse eats it and gets poisoned, dying in the run, the chickens may eat it, certainly ours would. Saw one chasing a field mouse yesterday and today one jumped up at a tree branch to try and snatch a sparrow off it! They both missed and the wildlife escaped unharmed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eve Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 Yes mine eat mice its a open run at top of the garden.just worried if I've seen 1 there will be alot more.will my hens stop laying if they see the rat and will they eat the eggs ?. Had chickes gor years and first time ive seen a rat x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckmum6 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I too have seen a rat in my girls covered WIR, it also tunnelled under the cube skirt to get in where I had slabs too! I have poison down, rat traps, no joy yet, the girls are confined to the barracks. I have reinforced and bunged up the holes with metal stakes, I have since seen it outside the run, but not in. My cat is hopeless, despite bringing all sorts of mice and birds in for me, she has also on two occasions dragged headless rabbits (big ones) in through the cat flap, but takes no interest in the rat activity! OH is keen on shooting said rat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I posted about a massive rat in the enclosure last week, It took me two days to find the hole which was four foot high in the corner of the run, I've blocked and reinforced that area and blocked the hole under the fence where it was getting in from next door and I have not seen it since! Touch wood!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I have so many cats in my neighbourhood, so very little mice and rat activity. I sometimes leave some food out on purpose to see if it gets eaten. So far I've found everything untouched in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill2b Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 I posted about a massive rat in the enclosure last week, It took me two days to find the hole which was four foot high in the corner of the run Struth Gavclojak, how big is your run? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 It is about 20 foot wide by the same deep. this was before the new girls arrived Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill2b Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 I can see the 4 foot hole it's right at the front Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 the size of the rat I had was incredible....massive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mars Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Buy rat proof feeder Hens will not stop laying if they see a rat eating their eggs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
