jasperaliceuk Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 Last year found himself a cheap hotel under the roosting bars of the Cub - just slept overnight, vacated by morning. Do you mean he was literally sleeping under the roosting bars ? I have a Cube but I'm hoping the poop trays would stop him going under the roosting bars or do you think he got in some other way ? Indeed he was, just made a cosy little bed and hopped out in the morning. As I'm not living at home at the moment thru' building work - I can't shut their pophole - although they get a daily visit from me - ratty goes up the ladder and under the tiny gap between the top and the roosting bars. The chickens don't seem bothered but I was. Now its blocked he's obviously reluctant to confront the chickens and sleep with them! Do you have bait boxes down? I have one nasty killing trap loaded with chocolate and a pecan nut but I wasn't sure if you were asking jasperalice that question. Nothing else as yet. On film he gets very close to going in the trap but just doesn't go far enough in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted January 29, 2018 Share Posted January 29, 2018 That's so funny (video) - reminds me of our pet rats long gone now. Amazing how they can get in the tiniest spaces. Even my daughter's round ball of a wattie - when they are determined they'll get in. But pets are different. I hope he gets to enjoy the choccy nut. I don't think we have them at the moment - touch wood and whistle - but it doesn't mean they aren't out there somewhere. The neighbours moved back in - with their schnauzer - and we certainly haven't seen any at the top of the house in daylight - which is when they were around! Down the end no bait has been touched at all for some time. I've renewed it because it can get damp but nada. On the other hand the wood mice are back. I love those little things - until they munch my veggies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share Posted February 2, 2018 Ratty seems to have disappeared He has not been spotted on my camera for ages. The last time we caught him in the run, he stole a Salt and Vinegar Pringle, left to tempt him into the trap and we haven't seen him since. I read that they were meant to like salt .... I didn't know it could send him packing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 Jeeeh! No more rat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share Posted February 2, 2018 Jeeeh! No more rat! I really do hope so. Now we just need a nice weekend so we can put wire over the Omlet run and stop ratty getting in altogether. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted February 3, 2018 Share Posted February 3, 2018 So the answer is to put out loads of Pringles to keep the rats away. Good call! Fingers crossed it'll stay away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 5, 2018 Author Share Posted February 5, 2018 So the answer is to put out loads of Pringles to keep the rats away. Good call! Fingers crossed it'll stay away. Sadly it didn't work Ratty appeared back on camera going in and out of the run. Just waiting for the wire to arrive now - that'll fox him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 Oh no. He took a while to digest then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara_PC Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 I've had pet rats for years and they are the most fantastic, intelligent and clean animals. When I got the Omlet coop and run originally and it said 'rodent proof' I thought yeah right...I've seen rats fit through gaps much smaller than those bars. The rat on the video is a young female so she will fit through small gaps easily (when she's not pregnant). Larger males would have more trouble as they are much bigger. I had a rat in my compost bin a few years back and wasn't too happy about it living in there and setting up shop...and potentially having a family. So I blocked off all entry points, stopped putting food waste in there for a while and bought a humane trap. The trap never caught it (it managed to take the food but not set it off?!) bur eventually when the food source was taken away it went elsewhere. Please try to discourage rats from visiting rather than killing them! They're just trying to get by and are no more dirty/clean than other animals...although I would be similarly keen to get rid of it if there was one around my chickens! They will only go where there is food/warmth so get rid of those two things and voila. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 Take the feeders in at night, clear up any spilt feed. If you have a compost heap, only put garden waste on it... and chicken manure. Put the food in a wormery where the rats can't get to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 Just as an amusing aside, this was on a crochet site that I am a member of of Facebook. You couldn't make it up. You really couldn't! I thought of the Omleteers when I read it. There are literally hundreds of replies gushing about this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 Not sure whether to laugh at that or roll my eyes! Personally, while I am usually happy to live alongside local wildlife, live and let live etc, I am not usually too charitable towards rats. I remember one that used to take eggs and chicks from my grandfolks' chooks; my grandad caught it coming out of the bank by the stream and 'caught' it with a shovel. He only just beat their terriers to it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millie-Annie Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 I'm definitely on the rolling eyes side of the fence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 8, 2018 Author Share Posted February 8, 2018 Love the rat blanket That's a lucky rat. He or she won't be able to get in at all once the wire has been put on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 It's cute. Quite old for a wattie too. We've had pet rats here. All such funny characters. Did love them all. Even my daughter had to have some more when she moved out. Sadly the last one went in November (over 2 and a half) and she was a very tubby thing that managed to get underneath their sofa . . . and chew the carpet! They put ball pond plastic balls in the way and then filmed the chucking of the balls out of the way by a grumpy furball! You could feel the vibes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
