[cleopatra]

We have a problem for the first time with rats.
we have also got a bulk delivery of haylage also for the first time.
the farmers told us to put rat poison in plastic pipes between the haylage bales whilst being stored as rats are likely to enter the bales to sleep.
the bales we have used and moved have been a bit mouldy as the rats have pierced them and have rat tunnels under them.
Now im finding pieces of rat poison amongst the haylage as the rats are obviously eating and storing the poison in the haylage.
im using poison for the first time and its the hexagonal blocks which the rats are carrying off and which crumble in the rain/damp.
any solutions as im worried that the haylage im feeding may have pieces of rat poison on it, as i found a crumbled poison block amongst the haylage i was feeding.
i barrow the haylage into feeders for sheep/goats so can check it but not see every bit.

any ideas or tips? thanks

[jaykay]

I can't tell you about the haylage, though if it's tiny amounts the chances of a sheep eating a dangerous dose I would have thought was small.

But I and my Dad have both had problems with rats carrying poison blocks and then other animals getting them, so we've both switched to loose grain, which has to be eaten in situ so can't be moved about. Of course the animal can still go elsewhere and die, but that won't affect herbivores at least.

[plumseverywhere]

Its not just the bits of poison that come away from the block though - potentially how much poison is excreted in the rat urine onto the hay? Not sure how much makes it through the system..especially if there's lots of rats
Maybe I'm overcautious but I'd be quite concerned about the accumaltive effect of traces of poison being consumed by my goats or sheep, but that is just me probably worrying too much 

[Anke]

But I and my Dad have both had problems with rats carrying poison blocks and then other animals getting them, so we've both switched to loose grain, which has to be eaten in situ so can't be moved about. Of course the animal can still go elsewhere and die, but that won't affect herbivores at least.

I am using the loose whole grain rat poison and I am sure they carry it off somewhere. I put out two or three scoops every night and every morning or every other morning (sometimes they have a night off  ) it is ALL gone. No way they are eating it there - no droppings anymore in that shed (we had at the start, then put poison down and found one dead and ginormous rat in the shed... since then it just all goes. I feel like I am a "carry-out" for rats... It has been going on for a few weeks now... and no idea where it is carted off to 

[colliewoman]

My pet rats would pouch grain in the same way hamsters do and could cram MASSES of food in in one go! Then they would trot off to their nest, empty it out and go back for a refill till all the food was gone

[tizaala]

This is why builders plaster mixed with grain is a safer way of getting rid of them,

[cleopatra]

thanks
iv never actually seen a rat but there are loads of tunnels. we had droppings in the workshop of all places for the first time but not for a while. never seen a dead one either
the poison get taken regularly.