The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: sausagesandcash on April 01, 2009, 11:40:46 pm
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Just noticed a rat near the pig trough tonight. previously we have only had mice around the house, and over here they say, where you have mice you don't have rats...any ideas. Are pigs not quick enough to catch and eat the buggers? Should I be concerned and maybe lay out poison in metal pipes? All advice on this simple matter welcome. I have four small kids around so I am a little concerned, that being said we live in a rural area so I know that the little rat buggers are around, I've just never seen one in 5 years.
Morgan :farmer:
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if you have animal feed about, sooner or later you will have rats. Try to find the place where they are nesting and put rat bait into the nest. pipes are also good. terriers and cats are best. I hate it when you see evidence of rats, time for warfare.
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I read in a chicken forum, that as the rats were comfortable eating from the trough and felt secure, to put the animals in a different enclosure and put the poison in the trough. It was then recommended that the trough be thoroughly washed out before re-use.....i'm afraid that some residue will remain and poison the pig though. What ya'll think?
Morgan
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Morgan,
Our cats sort out the problem for us. Make sure though that where you store your feed in rat proof. An old blue molasses barrel would suffice.
Cheers
Gavin
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On another forum there was something about having to keep a poisons book is that correct?
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Gavin, All the unused feed is in a vermin proof container. The rat(s) seem to be helping themselves to anything the pigs don't eat....any further suggestions?
Regards,
Morgan
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Trap em, shoot em, poison em.
feed the pigs a little at a time so none is left for rats?
get a terrier or a cat.
find the nest and put a hose pipe down and wash them away.
there is a glue based method where you put bait in the centre of a sheet of card with glue all the way round so their little feet get stuck.
I'll have to stop now I sound like a nutter. sorry.
don't like rats.
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U don't like them!! I despise them, the dirty little bags of infected wee ;D. Seriously, don't mind the mice but rats .... vile creatures. Anyone got the number of the pied piper? (and you thought you sounded like a nutter Carl! ;D)
Morgan :farmer:
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We had a bit of a rat problem not long ago, they were attacking the feed bins and picking up the spilt feed.
We invested in some profesional trap's, we found them on e-bay and they were highly effective. We caught 4 Adult rats in a week then we left an open feed bin out with a little feed in the bottom, and caught the young. Never had a problem after that.
Your proberly wondering what we did with the young... piece of 4x2 timber job done!
Personaly i wouldnt use poison, it's not worth the risk of it getting eaten by one of your own animals or some other poor wildlife. Trapping in my eyes is also far more humane, quick and clean, poison on the other hand is a long drawn out no doubt painful death, nothing deserves that.
BB
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Morgan,
Either your piggies are getting too much - ideally breakfast should be over within 20 mins or they don't like something in it. I wouldn't be keen on poisoning the rats. Pigs are natural omnivores so should a piece of dead poisoned rat get near them they could well eat it.
Cheers
Gavin
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Rat traps for me so ...... Thank god for latex gloves!
Thanks fpr all the advice guys
Morgan
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The bait has been laid, and the traps have been set.....I call it farmers fishing! All kills will be notified. I can feel the bloodlust rising!! ;D
Morgan
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We have this problem at home because of feeding birds. I know don't start me, Christine insists on giving them too much.
I've found we have a run of seeing them and then nothing for a while. We poison, shoot (air rifle) and trap.
There is one trap that's supposed to catch the whole family, didn't work for me though, just got two single ones. Other traps not up to much, shooting is the best result for me.
Use all methods you can think of. Rats are expert climbers and very intelligent, understand your prey.
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Rats are expert climbers and very intelligent, understand your prey.
Buggers must be smarter than me....four traps....and not one rat, yet! >:(
Morgan
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I went to check the coypu traps. No coypu just 2 rats.
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I have visions of you wearing a fur stoal around your neck going out for dinner....but your probably just trapping them as a pest (coypu). What do you bait your traps with....I use peanut butter.
Morgan
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I dont trap them, its the coypu man paid for by the local Marie. He does not use anything. Might mention peanut butter to him. Re the fur stole, no never can afford to go out to dinner. Mind they turn the livers into pate down South. Might try to do a deal with him.
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If you are poisoning please remove the bodies and burn them Cats, dogs,and owls all die from second hand poison!!
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On a une famille chinoise a cote de nous qui les mangent, il faut que je leur dit qu'ils sont empoisonné ;D
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Rat-a tu est chinese style? They dont poison them here, they shoot them.
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On a une famille chinoise a cote de nous qui les mangent, il faut que je leur dit qu'ils sont empoisonné ;D
Eh bien, si elles ne veulent pas entendre, c'est leur problème
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Sérieusement ils le manger? ??? :o
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Sacred blue !!
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jaques custard et sasha distell :dunce:
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He He He, TAS goes multilingual, and no I don't have chinese neighbours who eat rats. Although I did see a programme once where you could buy a BBQ'd rat in Asia. Well it's all meat! Sure look at all the devout Muslims who think we're vile. I have a mate from Pakistan who'd have gotten his mouth washed out if he'd even said pig as a child. Come armageddon (hello Rustyme!) the little buggers just might satrt to look tasty.
Still no rats caught by the way!
Morgan :farmer:
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What a relief thought I was throwing away good protein.
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we found the old fashioned snap rat traps the best baited up with mars bar we caught one every night for 6 nights. We recently dug out a base for a new shed and the terrier dug up a nest with four babies in, unfortunately mum got away. We have bait stations all around but for some reason the rats are not eating the bait. I really hate rats and will do anything to try and get rid of them. We tried the hose thing and I dont know where they went but there was a new hole in the morning so we didn't manage to drown the little buggars! We cant have a cat as we have 7 whippets that don't like them and we live near a fast road.
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Mmm Mars bars....going to have to try them next as the peanut butter just isn't doing the trick. Thanks for the suggestion.
Morgan :farmer:
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Not at the price they charge for a mars bar in the English shops over here.
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This might be worth a try - it works brilliantly with wasps that have nested in the ground.
Identify the entrance, get a bottle with half a pint of petrol in it ( doesn't need to be exact amount ) in the evening when they are all in put the neck of the bottle in the entrance and cover with a polythene bag, weighted down with a couple of stones. Leave until morning. There will be a few wasps that have been out overnight but that's it. The fumes do the job, many people make the mistake of lighting the petrol !!
So for rats, the question is will the fumes kill them?
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One rat caught in a trap that the peanut butter has been eaten out of (by a mouse I presume). Dirty little bugger has been dispatched to account for his earthly sins on another plain ;D
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Keep going ... (which brand of Peanut butter?)