The Poultry Keeper

CP · Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 2:54 am Post subject:

An addict if ever there was one! Rolling Eyes

jaydee67 · Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 1:09 pm Post subject:

Ok - saw my first ever rat this morning - running in and out the duck shed, bold as brass. Guess we need a rat solution too!

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2130 Location: North Cornwall

If you were watching one, there were another dozen in the bushes watching you.

Just to cheer you up. Laughing

There does seem to be a lot this year. I have closed off 3 rearing pens so that the ducks cant get in, and put poison and traps in them. The rats were eating loads of the poison but its not going so fast now.
But I like the old fashioned rat traps best. You can see its dead and as I dont want to rehome them, I like them that way best.

Issy · Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Posts: 371 Location: somerset

We have had rats eat through the non electrified bottom strand of electric fencing plus one of the upright non electrified ones and take up residence under our imoveble duck house whilst digging runs to get under all the other chicken runs (now imovable to deter thieves). I have had rat traps out for a couple of weeks but they are ignoring them (even soggy fig biscuits!!) Are you sure that a poisoned rat can't hurt a chicken (I have seen mine eat mice whole). If so I will go and buy bait and try that. I don't mind most anmals but rats give me the creeps.

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2478 Location: South Cumbria

I am the same as you Issy there is only 1 animal I cannot stand 'the rat' I have just found a hole in my compost bin ! so I have put some corn and soap powder in to see if that works already have some bait boxes down that we put out a couple of weeks ago, no food left out as I have a peck feeder though I have an automatic drinker maybe I should remove it for now ? any advice welcome

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2130 Location: North Cornwall

They are not eating the bait much here now altho the holes and digging are getting worse. They are digging into the chicken runs as well now. I caught a fair few at first but I'm looking for new method to try now.

Does anyone know if you are still allowed to hunt rats with a dog?

Attila The Hen · Joined: 19 Sep 2005 Posts: 419 Location: Shetland

Perfectly legal to set a dog on a rat. Most breeds will have a go, but beg borrow or steal a jack russell if you can - bred for the job, and even if they've never had the practice, the instinct is there and will kick in.

That said, a necessary caveat - rat bites can be nasty, so it's best to make sure your dog isn't working in too confined a space.

I've said it before on here, but it bears repeating - a .22 air rifle with one of those laser pointer pens taped to the sight makes a devastatingly accurate and effective rat-potter - take a few minutes in daylight to calibrate the laser/sight by taking a few shots at a paper target, and you're set - anyone can get the red dot on a rat and pull the trigger. Easy.

Am all for a multiple approach to rat control, as they're canny beasts - what works for one rat won't necessarily for another. Breakneck traps (inside large diameter pipes set on their smooth rat-runs) are a good start, though beware wild birds / hens getting at them; live-traps are okay, though I found they tend not to get as many as the breaknecks - and for those of a squeamish disposition, don't forget you've still got to kill the little darlings in the morning (drowning easiest, immersing trap in a substantial volume of water - buckets are too small - and bear in mind rat pee may carry Weil's, so make sure the water is treated with due respect); poison is effective against most (a handy hint - find a rat hole leading into one of their subterranean tunnels - check which way the tunnel goes, and use a cane to confirm this by prodding down through the soil a couple of feet from the burrow entrance - carefully use a trowel to dig through the roof of the tunnel at this point - place bait in tunnel below hole, and cover the hole with a brick - keep replacing the bait daily until it stops being taken; and a .22 air rifle as before.

Oops, forgot to say - best trap bait was I found Cadbury's Fruit and Nut - their fondness for chocolate makes them more like us than we might care to admit!

Attila (who loves living on an island these days with no rats, foxes, badgers or polecat ferrets!)

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2130 Location: North Cornwall

Any property for sale up there Attila. Laughing

Sometimes this constant battle with predators wears me down Sad

jaydee67 · Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2006 7:10 pm Post subject:

Sure we'll find you something Jan - although we have polecats and rats on mainland Shetland!

kittoch · Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 170 Location: glasgow

interested to see others are having big rat problems this year..............the last month has been the worst i can remember........the rat holes have appeared seemingly overnight, and amount of gnawing at wooden sheds within days has been frightening!!! Shocked

...................took nearly 2 weeks now, but finally the bait is being left untouched.............i was baiting every night for over a week, with one poison, then another different one, and no fresh diggings, plus holes are collapsing, so hopefully thats the worst over for a wee while again.................till next time.
if its not rats chewing at the bottom of the huts, its bloody grey squirrels chewing at the roof line!!!
Evil or Very Mad

Issy · Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Posts: 371 Location: somerset

The trap cought one of them this morning but didn't kill it - that was left to me to drown it Crying or Very sad

appologising all the while - anyone lurking around our place would think I was seriously bonkers this morning Laughing

Am going out to get some poison today and I will bait under the buildings as unfortunately the dog can't get under there.

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2130 Location: North Cornwall

We are going to try gassing them with a pipe pushed down a hole attached to the strimmer with the engine running. Confused

OH's idea, not mine

mojo · Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:04 pm Post subject:

jan please tell OH to be carefull takes quite a long time to fill tunnels with exaust and it is harmfull to humans too....have heard of accidents when trying this

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2130 Location: North Cornwall

Clucky · Joined: 22 Jul 2006 Posts: 2182 Location: Shropshire

Well since my question on this....I have baited and set traps and blocked off all the other holes and guess what....no sign after a week. Not even new holes. Mad

They must come on this forum and read what I was about to do Laughing