[smudger]

We have a growing problem, literally. After jumping out of my skin on Saturday when I opened up the 'rat proof' treadle feeder and a rat flew out, I have to give up ad-lib feeding and give them a set amount at various stages through the day. Any tips on frequency I will need to do this ie can I get away with 3x day or do I need to do less food and more frequently. I know there is only so much they can hold in their croup (and no point doing this and food being let on ground for rats to gorge on).

Also we have being using the poison which doesn't have secondary affects (forget its name) but think we need to up the stakes until we have got it under control. Any one recommend a really effective poison. We have been using the bait boxes but they have been left untouched, hopefully if no hen food that will change.

I'm also not feeding the wild birds, so if there is a good feeder which doesn't spill food I would like to know.

thx

[robert waddell]

rats are just as intelligent as humans     the hens feed is high in protein so they grow faster and bigger
unfortunately the only down side to poultry is vermin  either birds or rats
mix your own poison with hen feed and put in bait boxes the boxes only work against walls as they use them for the runs  and any people smells they will not touch it

[chrismahon]

Is your treddle feeder properly balanced as a rat shouldn't be able to open it. Stick -on alloy wheel lead weights are good as the adhesive is waterproof. Any tyre place will sell you some.

Scatter feed twice a day. First thing in morning and two hours before dusk. Same amount both times. Risk is lowest in pecking order won't get enough and will stop laying.

[colliewoman]

I don't know if it is just mine that do this but you could try running a muscovy drake with them.
My Daffyd delights in killing rats, i have so far only spotted 2 and each time they are bloodied corpses in the morning.
But it could just be my maniac ducks!

[melodrama]

Keeping cats has always kept our rat problem to almost nil and the cats never went for the chickens

[ellisr]

My 3 young semi feral cats are fantastic at keeping the rats and rabbits down, we see them with rabbits all the time now as I think they have all but done with the rats now as I haven't seen or seen signs of any for a couple of months.
The cats go into the chicken coup area mainly at night when the chickens are in bed as they are scared of the chickens after being beat up by them a few times.

[plumseverywhere]

Don't get me started on rats today    and EllisR it was a big rat not a baby despite what you said on my photo - the picture was deceptive lol!!!  Snowball our siamese cross brings them in all the time, usually dead and we get bits (heads and tails mainly) left around as evidence. Last night/early hours however she bought a huge rat in and dropped it live, onto my bare feet. It was squealing and so was I.

Ours tend to be in our goats sheds (well under them) not had any problems with them in the chickens yet.  Keep your feed well locked up in bins (well not locked but you know what i mean) so that you don't get it infected with their droppings. 

[plt102]

We have a really bad problem with rats in our food/hay barn. They have actually dug through concrete floor and through some stone wall to make runs and have chewed their way into our chicken shed floor. Have given up on getting rid and we are now just trying to keep the numbers low. They go in the chicken shed even if there is no food in there. Luckily they haven't gone for the chooks yet. We don't use poison as I am worried that our cats/dogs/chickens etc might be harmed by it so just lots of traps and hope for the best.

[Sylvia]

I get lengths of plastic piping just rat size and put the bait well into the middle of them. This stops anything else, cats, chickens etc. getting to it.

[Womble]

Yes, but what about cats, chickens etc getting to the dead rats?

[deepinthewoods]

this is just my experience but my cats and indeed chickens will kill rats but they dont seem to eat them, when i shot trapped and poisoned the gross infestation here, i didnt find many dead uns on the ground, they all seemed to die underground. i figure a cat would have to eat a reasonable portion of rat to ingest some poison, i think vitamin k is the antidote.all the above is pure opinion, not fact!!

[plumseverywhere]

Ours eat most of the rats and just leave us the head and tail but occasionally we get them in live. I would worry that Snowball in particular probably eats several a day (mice and rats, mainly rats) 

[chrismahon]

Caught a big one in the humane rabbit trap this morning (just under a Kilo I would say -full of chicken feed). Caught more rats in that trap than by any other method. Big enough for them to turn round so they more readily go in. Gravity closing door so chicken safe. Despatch with an air pistol, which is easy as they come up to the barrel to see what it is! I had it baited with apple one Winter. It just sat there for two weeks waiting for the damn rabbit. One morning and looking through the mist -yipee, I've caught it! No I hadn't. But it was the biggest rat I've ever caught.

[feldar]

OH and i sat and watch a big rat come on the patio this morning, we feed the chickens near there. He was a big boy  ( the rat) not OH! and we have tried shooting him but he got away. going to try poison soon we put it behind a concrete slab so chooks can't get at it.
Have to say i bet there's more rats never live alone

[smudger]

chrismahon - could you pm where you got your trap from? Quick google search gives a wide range of options from cheap to not so cheap and ones on amazon don't get good write ups. Husband bought an air rifle so if we can trap them that might be a good option. This squirrel trap gets good reviews (157 of them!) - will it do? Also cheap so can get a  few:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cheese-STV076-Squirrel-Cage-Trap/dp/B000NWGJNW/ref=sr_1_1?s=outdoors&ie=UTF8&qid=1332411334&sr=1-1

I will look at putting some magnetic weights on the feeder  (basically there is no resistance so they can push against the flap; I have also ordered a chooketeria).