The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Wildlife => Topic started by: Creagan on June 20, 2016, 01:55:29 pm
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Don't know if 'wildlife' is the right section of the forum for this!
Over the past couple of weeks I had started spotting signs of rats having a go at the chicken feeder. Then suddenly we were seeing a big fat female sitting right on top of the wheelie bin, outside the kitchen window! Bit too up close and personal thank you! It was shortly followed by several smaller ones so I realised we had a growing problem.
After a couple of days of this I plucked up the courage to dust off the air rifle and the big female's next appearance was her last. I have to say whilst it is an unpleasant way of dealing with them from my point of view, it is probably much more humane than poison, not to mention safer for my dogs and chickens.
Anyway, after getting rid of the big one, I haven't seen a single rat since. Hurrah! Do you think I have somehow scared off the others?
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I would say either they're in hiding and only come out at night or you have killed the bigger problem which was the mother. Even still I would recommend putting traps down with poison in them, just make sure nothing else can get to it! If you find the dead bosies then dispose of before anything can eat them and somewhere where nothing can get to them also.
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I read your post with interest Creagan as we are having the same problem - rats going into the chicken run, eating out of the feeders etc. We're also very unkeen to put poison down because of our dogs and chickens.
I just wonder how you knew it was a female rat? Can you identify that just from looking at them? I'm amazed how bold they are, we've seen one in the run during the afternoon and early evening but when we've put traps down (once the chickens are shut away for the night) the next morning they're tripped but there's no rat there.
Getting to be a real issue.
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We have rats eating the chicken food here, but don't think there's many.
Can't be bothered to do much about it really.
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^ Can I say I think that's a mistake? Firstly there are always more than you think there are, and secondly if they have food, water and shelter, they won't stay as 'just a few' for very long. For your sake, and the sake of your neighbours, I'd get it dealt with now, before the problem gets bigger.
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I have my neighbours to thank for the problem in the first place- they had a big problem and it has now spread to me. I have raised the feeder as high as possible and fingers crossed this will be enough to stop the littler ones from reaching it.
I know it was a female because with males, you can see their bits- or at least you can with pet rats (which we used to have. Tame, clean ones are quite nice creatures).
I'm in the north of Scotland so at this time of year there is almost no 'darkness' to speak of. The chicken feeder comes into the (human) house overnight as well.
I will keep monitoring the area for signs that they have returned...
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The "several smaller ones" you saw will, in no time at all become several larger ones; and in an equally short time will have multiplied into dozens.
I always reckon that if you actually see a rat on your premises then you've already got a rat problem. Mostly you see more evidence of their presence a while before you see the actual animal.
I read somewhere that for every rat you see there's likely to be another 25 or so hidden underground.
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As others have said if you see one there's many more you haven't. Having food around in hoppers is always going to be an attraction and not much you can do about it if you have anything on ad lib feed.
Shooting one will not have sent the others packing.
We put out blocks which we nail to pieces of wood and put where dogs and chickens can't reach them. We also put them down the hole. If you scatter willy nilly then they will drag the bait back to their nest and there is more potential to have them drop it and your dog or chickens to pick it up.
I read some where recently that people do not get rid of their problem because they under estimate the population they are dealing with so don't put enough down and don't put it down for long enough. That was from a professional rat catcher.
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Commercial chicken feed contains vitamin K which is the antidote to many types of rat poison so feeding both chicken feed and poisoned bait is just fattening rats, you have to make sure the rats do not get the chicken feed. I found the best way was to give the chickens several meals a day and remove the feed between times until the rats were no more.
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Another option is the treadle type feeders which require the weight of the bird on the feeder to open the access to the food. (hence eliminating access by rats)
I believe they go under the trade name of grandma or grandpa feeders.
They are quite expensive but I have been considering them myself as I am a strong believer in that if there is no food source you will not get vermin.
Ad lib chicken food is an open invitation to rats.
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We have seen a couple of rats lately
We keep pigs and they love the pig nuts. Also we supplement the goats with cattle pellets twice a day and the rats love any that are dropped on the floor when the goats are eating. I have always been worried about using poison as we have two very daft labs that attack anything that moves. However our quail were wiped out by a rat this week so I am going to get them. Which poison do you suggest we use given that there are dogs around?
Thank you