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Author Topic: Rat control  (Read 14677 times)

Stereo

  • Joined Aug 2012
Rat control
« on: November 06, 2014, 05:49:30 pm »
I've got rats big time (as well as the cocci). It's getting worse. I've got a treadle feeder for the main hens and that is working well but have growers as well and they can't use it so have to have an open feeder.

I bought some Eradibait as it's supposed to be non toxic harmless to everything else but kills rodents because of the way their digestion works??. I still didn't want the hens near it so put it in an old DE tub with a hole in the side, some mixed corn and then put this under an old upside down plastic storage box in the run with a rock on top. Now, if this was something I didn't want them at, they would have tunneled under the box on night 1 and be in there. But no luck after 7 days. Annoying. There's corn in there so I would have thought they would want to be in there.

Anyway, I'm not keen on the nasty stuff as we have masses of owls around here and also quite a few feral cats who keep the rabbits (and hopefully some rats) under control.

Any experiences? I don't want cause any secondary poisoning but also need shot of these buggers.

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: Rat control
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2014, 06:05:23 pm »
How about something a bit smellier to tempt them in there?  I've heard that a cooked chicken leg is supposedly good for rats?
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

Steph Hen

  • Joined Jul 2013
  • Angus Scotland.
Re: Rat control
« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2014, 06:35:17 pm »
Ferrets? Possibly even just ferret bedding tossed about the place. I've posted before - my landlady where I used to stay had had rat problems for previous 30 odd years. I got three ferrets, used to exercise them in the yard, stables and sheds and they would sometimes go into the drains underground, under pallets, etc.
To my knowledge, my ferrets never made a kill there but the rats moved out. Her rat man stopped filling up bait stations, cat stopped bringing them in. No more chewed sacks. She swears it was the ferrets, having tried everything for decades.
BUT they will massacre hens if go awol and get into shed one night.

Agree that I would have thought something more protein based would be more attractive, raw fish, chicken bones? Maybe?

I have a few rats in the garden, but they've dug underneath the trap I put out - this is ok, because they're visiting it every night and I will shortly change it so they can't get bait without going inside.
I also have fenn trapsm not got those out yet - don't seem to have time with baby.

Carey boy

  • Joined May 2014
  • Caernarfon, North Wales
Re: Rat control
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2014, 07:00:29 pm »
You have RATS because they have easy access to FOOD or DRY HOUSING or both.

Make it easy for them to only eat the poisoned food. Stop the easy "just help your self feeding". I have seen rat's that are the same weight as hen's.

If you can, move the hen house. If the rats are underground put a hose pipe down the hole and slush them out.

Keep rat poison (responsible) down all the time and check it every week.

Good luck

David

Stereo

  • Joined Aug 2012
Re: Rat control
« Reply #4 on: November 07, 2014, 09:10:42 am »
The biggest mistake we made was choosing a shed we couldn't move. In the future we are going for smaller flocks so I can move them completely if I need to. I think I will try removing the growers feed as the nights are now drawing in and getting it back up to them in the morning. Then it's only the treadle feeder or the bait and I don't think they can operate the treadle unless 3 or 4 got on there. I have noticed a serious drop in feed consumption since we installed it so it must be doing something.

Clansman

  • Joined Jul 2013
  • Ayrshire
Re: Rat control
« Reply #5 on: November 07, 2014, 09:22:27 am »
I have seen rat's that are the same weight as hen's.

What sort of hens do you keep Carey Boy? Is it some sort of a miniature bantam?  ;D

Clansman

  • Joined Jul 2013
  • Ayrshire
Re: Rat control
« Reply #6 on: November 07, 2014, 09:24:53 am »
Do you have a cat Stereo?

One of ours won't touch rats but the other loves catching them if they appear

Stereo

  • Joined Aug 2012
Re: Rat control
« Reply #7 on: November 07, 2014, 11:00:38 am »
I do have cats but the hens are a way up the valley. There are feral type cats around the pens who don't harm the chickens and I assume they must have a few rats so I don't want to end up secondarily poisoning them. I think I'm going to work on moving the growers as their feeder is probably the main food source at the mo and my attempts to keep them out of the growers run have failed. I'm worried if I leave them without food the rats will go after any birds who are on the ground.

Need a re-think for next year and lots more treadle feeders. Very impressed with the Mole Valley one I got.

northfifeduckling

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Fife
    • North Fife Blog
Re: Rat control
« Reply #8 on: November 07, 2014, 11:28:46 am »
Let us know how you get on with the Eradibait. Other reviews I've read are not so good.

The cat is useless but I'm glad she wouldn't touch a poisoned mouse as they are too slow - and the cat can't be bothered to work in the house.


silkiechick

  • Joined Apr 2011
Re: Rat control
« Reply #9 on: November 07, 2014, 11:37:21 am »
Difenacoum bait such as Roban or Neosorexa is the best for situations where you have birds of prey in residence or a risk from secondary poisoning

RonMinch

  • Joined Sep 2011
Re: Rat control
« Reply #10 on: November 07, 2014, 12:19:27 pm »
Fenn traps No 4s I think, you have to set then in a tunnel or cage, no bait needed I use them all year round and check them when I am passing. I made small indicators so I know when they have been triggered. Good thing is you know what you've caught and the numbers. I get 4 or 5 a year oh and 1 mole!! Trapping much more efficient IMO

chrismahon

  • Joined Dec 2011
  • Gascony, France
Re: Rat control
« Reply #11 on: November 07, 2014, 02:14:53 pm »
I used to use Fen4's but am less inclined to do so now since catching a hedgehog which then had to be killed. A humane trap gives you the opportunity to release the wrong species but then necessitates shooting the rats.

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Rat control
« Reply #12 on: November 07, 2014, 02:24:41 pm »
Eradirat didn't work at all for me.  Back to difenacoum or bromodialone.  I always take in feeders at night and bait all year.

Carey boy

  • Joined May 2014
  • Caernarfon, North Wales
Re: Rat control
« Reply #13 on: November 07, 2014, 05:53:00 pm »
Clansman.

Should the question be "what sort of rats do you have".

A wild rat in condition could be 1.25 lb.

A rat that can just eat all the food it likes could be  1.65 to 1.85 lb.

Now test, at what weight a walk on feeder opens.

RonMinch

  • Joined Sep 2011
Re: Rat control
« Reply #14 on: November 07, 2014, 06:37:10 pm »
Well what do know another in the trap when I got in from work. My tunnels have small entrance holes so only the smallest of hedgehogs could access the trap. But if a hedgehog can get in the trap surely it may eat bait!! Another dead rat is a result IMO.

 

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