The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Penninehillbilly on September 12, 2019, 10:34:00 pm

Title: Hens and rat poison
Post by: Penninehillbilly on September 12, 2019, 10:34:00 pm
Hi, worried about my 2  hens.
About 5-6 days ago, I left the polytunnel door open, in there was a dustbin, in the bottom of the dustbin was an old tub of Neosorexa Gold,  hens must have jumped on dustbin, knocking it over, lid came off, and the lid of the poison.
I am presuming they have eaten some, OH says they eat in the mornings, but I know they arent eating as much as normal, there is food (wheat) left in the evenings, and they don't come to eat anything I put in then. No feed left in overnight.
Any thoughts please? If they were going to die would they have gone by now, or is it slow acting?
Lid now tied on obviously, and try and keep door shut..
I haven't used the poison for years, but about 7-8 yr ago was overrun by rats from a nearby barn, where tenant only fed his pigs once a day, and we had no cat here. Had rats sat on the doorstep, awful time.


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Title: Re: Hens and rat poison
Post by: chrismahon on September 13, 2019, 12:41:56 pm
I thought it was cumulative, so the rats need to eat a lot of it over many days. You will see if it has affected the chickens by their poo I think. Nothing you can do now of course except wait obviously. If they are laying eggs at the moment I'd not be happy eating them for a week or so. They do eat a lot of stuff that affects them badly- in our case it's lizards, grasshoppers and praying mantises, all of which have a dramatic effect on their digestion for a few days. In fact the one that I witnessed eating a large lizard (4" long swallowed whole) had a heart attack two weeks afterwards, which may have been a co-incidence, but I think the toxins in the lizard, which initially wrecked her digestive flora, had a part to play.
Title: Re: Hens and rat poison
Post by: Fleecewife on September 13, 2019, 01:30:00 pm
I wonder if the poison will have been somewhat denatured by being stored in a polytunnel?  You just might get away with it.  I would suggest you try nursing the hens through their illness as well as you can and you may be lucky and they come out OK.  I would suggest you chuck out the poison and buy new if you need to in the future.
Title: Re: Hens and rat poison
Post by: bj_cardiff on September 13, 2019, 02:25:54 pm
Isn't the antidote a big dose of vitamin k? I would speak to your vets if they are pet hens and you wanted to go down that route?
Title: Re: Hens and rat poison
Post by: Penninehillbilly on September 13, 2019, 04:33:03 pm
Thanks all, hens currently not laying, (unless hiding them somewhere) about 7 years old.
I did think I'd heard about vit. K, but thinking it may be a bit late now.
Hens not normally in polytunnel, wondering what one does with old rat poison? It doesn't look how a remember it, grey powder/crumbs? I hate rat poison, only used it then in desperation.  No problems since pigman was booted off.
Title: Re: Hens and rat poison
Post by: Fleecewife on September 13, 2019, 09:39:02 pm
I had not heard of the product you used, but having looked it up I now know that it contains coumarin, a blood thinner from which warfarin is derived. Vit K is the antidote for warfarin, as it reduces the INR to normal in about 6 hours.  I don't know if Vit K also works as an antidote for Neosorexa gold.  Vit K will stop the heavy bleeding after 6 hours, but most things would be dead by then.  Long term effects seem to be liver damage, so your hens may have developed that.


 It is intended for professional use only and must be kept locked up and not used by untrained people! (or left lying around in a polytunnel  ::) )  As a hazardous substance you will have to find out where you can safely dispose of it.  Your council may be able to put you in touch with a company which deals with hazardous waste, or you may be able to google it for your area.  Local tips don't usually take hazardous substances except batteries.

Interesting fact for the day:
Coumarin is a flavouring substance which is contained in relatively high concentrations in cinnamon varieties collectively known as "Cassia cinnamon". In especially sensitive persons, even comparatively small quantities of coumarin can cause liver damage, although the effect is usually reversible.
Title: Re: Hens and rat poison
Post by: Penninehillbilly on September 13, 2019, 10:13:54 pm
FW, we bought that long before current regulations came in, it was used in a safe way, following guidelines, but i hated using it, and TBH, I had forgotten it was there, it was normally safe, I think bin had been moved slightly, off level, it's secure for now, I'll be getting advice on Monday.


On a more positive note, after worrying about the hens, one was up for her supper tonight.  :)
Title: Re: Hens and rat poison
Post by: Fleecewife on September 15, 2019, 01:39:30 pm
FW, we bought that long before current regulations came in, it was used in a safe way, following guidelines, but i hated using it, and TBH, I had forgotten it was there, it was normally safe, I think bin had been moved slightly, off level, it's secure for now, I'll be getting advice on Monday.


On a more positive note, after worrying about the hens, one was up for her supper tonight.  :)


yes I realised that you had bought this some time ago.  I was thinking more that for disposal you might need to explain why you had it.
That's good that your hens seem to be recovering  :fc: :hughen: