The Poultry Keeper

Auntie Noo · Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 552 Location: Guildford

Well just to let you know the environmental health people have been round today. They left a large amount of poison in a drain-pipe that I had placed near a run a while ago for just such an eventuality!! They say that new pipes/boxes whatever should have both ends free - i.e. the rat should be able to see right through it, and don't expect it to be used for up to 2 weeks as rats are very suspect of change! The poison they use here is called Deadline (blue dyed grain) and they use it because in the event of a pet getting hold of it there is an antidote available at the vets. But it is also designed to taste unpleasant to cats and dogs.... plus they would have to eat half their body weight for it to kill them. The lady made sure it was pushed well inside the drain (which is around 4 ft long) so I'm 99% sure Spot can't get to it, and the other 1% of her wouldn't anyway as luckily she isn't a thieving type girl! They also said that they would phone me in 2 weeks to see if I still have evidence of them, and thereafter every 2 months or so. So all in all an extremely good service (and free).... almost makes it worth the large council tax bill!!!! Smile

blackandwhitechicken · Joined: 15 Feb 2008 Posts: 12 Location: Cornwall

When i was in our large shed last week our cat came in to do his nosy. He ususally catches rabbits but was intent on one corner. A few minutes later there was an almighty screaming and he walked out with a rat in his mouth!
I got the shock of my life as we have never seen any signs. It was(according to OH) a young one, and he said there are bound to be others. As we have a dog, cats, children and chooks what can I safely use to kill them? Also if the cats eat poisoned rats will this kill them?

CP · Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 10:23 am Post subject:

The only one I know that's said not to harm other animals is Eradirat - now under a new name, which escapes me for the moment. Rolling Eyes

But when we had an infestation found it not to be that effective & had to resort to Roban. Maybe if we had used it for a longer time it would've worked but we needed to eradicate them quickly.

From what I've been told, a cat or dog would have to eat a lot of rats before they would be affected due to the small amounts of poison in a rat's stomach.

If you keep bait stations around then the risk, I would say is minimal as long as they are situated securely. Wink

Auntie Noo · Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 552 Location: Guildford

I think "generally" the rats take the poison home to the nest and the majority die there. I could be wrong but that was what the EHO suggested last week. She certainly wasn't worried by the thought of the dog getting dead rats - only that the poison itself was out of the way.

Dusty · Joined: 07 Jan 2008 Posts: 763 Location: St. Asaph

Hope you get it sorted. I lost some lovely aviary birds to rats before we built a new aviary with concrete base.

One rat even came in the aviary whilst I was there and snatched a cockatiel as she sat on eggs (she had decided to do so on the floor).

One of my birds disappeared and I never saw a trace, no feathers nothing, that told me how quick they can strike.

We used poison down the rat holes covered them with bricks.

It seems to have worked, we found two massive rats dead in the garden shortly after and touch wood haven't seen any since.

kinmad · Joined: 24 Feb 2008 Posts: 49 Location: east sussex

Know anyone with ferrets?