The Poultry Keeper

Blackrock · Joined: 24 Sep 2008 Posts: 62 Location: West Berkshire

Hi All,

Now that the rodents have found we have chickens we are getting new holes appearing under our fence, everyday i block the holes with stone and then find a new hole in the morning.

I use a spring feeder and i make sure there is no food or water left on the floor every evening but they still come back.

I do know that the rats in my area are totally immune to Difenacoum based poisons so i will have to bait with a Bromadiolone based product.

Can i put bait boxes within the chickens fenced off area of the garden? I am led to believe that the bait will remain in the box until eaten by the rats, so should not be a problem to the chickens?

I don't really want to put a bait box the other side of the fence where the rats are coming from because it is a public bridleway.

What do you use to keep the rats at bay? What's the best way to kill/get rid of them?

CP · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 10:13 am Post subject:

Rats are a pain in the a**e! Twisted Evil

The best way we've found is to use bait boxes covered over with either a paving slab, or slate/tile etc. leaning over it so the box cannot be moved & there's an overhang either end so if there is any bait taken out, chances are it will only just be outside the box...if you see what I mean.

We use this method with the wax blocks & have never yet found any bait removed from the box (she says, tempting fate!! Rolling Eyes

)

You could use Eradirat which is supposed to only kill rodents, but we found it didn't really do the job. It's since been renamed & repackaged but I don't know if it's any more effective. Confused

Chris Kurzfeld · Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 1712 Location: Carmarthenshire

We have lockable bait boxes with slabs on top, we use block bait, plus 2 monarch traps with peanut butter in (for those little devils too clever to take bait). Have only had to despatch a couple in the monarch so far but I think there are still a few around. We also have a problem with mink so have 2 mink traps, baited with fish, so far no takers Mad

.

Blackrock · Joined: 24 Sep 2008 Posts: 62 Location: West Berkshire

Thanks,

I have just bought a couple of spring type rat trap/killers which I'll put down tonight in front of the fresh holes, I'll just have to watch my fingers when setting them.

I will order a couple of bait boxes and some decent poison, I have a few spare slabs left over from when I done my patio. Wink

I think that they can also get through the wire on the chicken coops own run so may have to replace the wire with a smaller holed wire. The coop is raised off the ground, would the rats go up the ramp and chew there way in to get to the chooks?

NannyP · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 11:46 am Post subject:

I was an hour late getting home last night, and when I went down to the main coop, the feeder was swinging!! I listened, and used my torch on the birds, they were quiet, but when I moved the torch I could hear scurrying. All of a sudden, in a panic, 5 rats ran across the floor and out through the pop hole.

Pop hole is now closed, and Mark will be butting bait down the 4 rat holes in the netted run. Sad

Blackrock · Joined: 24 Sep 2008 Posts: 62 Location: West Berkshire

OMG! Are the chooks ok?

NannyP · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 5:58 pm Post subject:

Oh yes, they're fine...I am sure they've been living with rats for months....every so often we have a blitz, these looked like the next generation, so another bait blitz has resumed today.

Where we live, there will always be rats. I seem to manage to keep the younger one's safe from harm, and the older ones are perched quite high.

Just annoyed to be feeding the chickens and the bloody rats!!

Blackrock · Joined: 24 Sep 2008 Posts: 62 Location: West Berkshire

Glad your chooks are ok NannyP.

I have just set 2 Spring type rat traps near the holes, hopefully they like Galaxy Milk Chocolate? It would be so nice to kill one on the first night Twisted Evil

I have also ordered 2 bait boxes and poison blocks so fingers crossed they'll be with me soon.

Magpie · Joined: 28 Aug 2007 Posts: 667 Location: Norfolk

I've been using Tomcat2 (bromadiolone) for a year or so and it has been pretty good - blocks in baitboxes but this autumn the rodents don't seem to be so interested and are still digging holes under the chook houses. I am now underwiring the houses as and when I can with 1cm x 2.5cm weldmesh Rolling Eyes

Have 5 live traps in position with peanut butter but not caught any yet.

Might have to have a word with our local rat man and get one of the more advanced poisons put down...

Tim

Chris Kurzfeld · Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 1712 Location: Carmarthenshire

We have recently had leaflets put through the door about Red Kites dying - they think there is a conection between the rat population explosion - farmers using more/stronger bait - and the Kites taking rats that have eaten it! Don't know what the answer is - we cannot let the little b****rs take over Evil or Very Mad

.

JC · Joined: 24 Mar 2008 Posts: 1116 Location: Sussex

On the topic of rats...

Last year our neighbours were new to chicken keeping and had 3 hens in a moveable ark, which they left stationary next to the hedge. After a few weeks they noticed holes round the edge...

Anyway 2 months later they managed to feed up a massive army of the little buggers, they ended up chewing lots of holes in my run, chewed a bloody great hole through my hutch door.. and for a few weeks i had rats living in with my chickens i would find rat poo in the hutch. Even on the perches sometimes.. drove me mad.

Anyway rat man came poison down, i blocked all the holes off on my run, neighbours continued to have rats because they never really blocked any of the holes. off.

Eventually this year they dug wire down and sorted the prouble. now i have no rats at all.

Magpie · Joined: 28 Aug 2007 Posts: 667 Location: Norfolk

Minor success last night - caught a young rat in a live trap Smile

Just got to get the other 1001.....

gibralmoro · Joined: 08 Jul 2008 Posts: 15 Location: Worcestershire

[quote="
I have just set 2 Spring type rat traps near the holes, hopefully they like Galaxy Milk Chocolate?

quote]

Best results we had using Cadbury Bournville dark chocolate, maybe our rats were choosey but didnt like milk varieties at all.

Currently I have not got a rat problem (hope not speaking too soon !) but after 2006 epidemic here we removed all uneaten food from pens at night as soon as birds were roosted, then back out with full feeders in morning - extra work but so far its worked. Also having a Jack Russell about in the daytime may have something to do with it !

casperlea · Joined: 19 Nov 2008 Posts: 6 Location: worcestershire

i find my ruger 22 rifle loaded with sub sonic ammo a great control method but i have the surrounding land too make this a safe practice you tend to find the adults show first so taking them out stop the breeding process works for me a decent air rifle would do the job get some practice shoots in now a rat never sits still even when eating so you need to dangle bait from apiece of sting suspended above the groung about six inch's the rat will stand up and still to reach the food/bait and bingo you can also put a back stop up at the back of the target area should you miss happy hunting .This might not be to everybody idea way but its what works for me