Rats

[PHILMT]

I have kind of turned a blind eye to the amount of rats i have living around my chickens. I think i have ignored it because i knew i would have to set traps and i dont like killing. at the weekend i noticed too many to ignore and thought i best do something about it.  I have tried a humane trap before but never caught any.  I set some killing traps on sunday and have caughed 9 so far .  does anyone else have problems with rats?

[PHILMT]

[kt.]

No rat problems that I am aware of though I know they will be around the place.  I have no problem with killing rats if I did have any concerns.  I have split some clean in half with the spade when I have come across them and would do the same again.  I do not hunt for them but if they are there then they get the good news.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I saw one in my shed the other day, as bold as brass. We've got a supply of poison in the comittee hut, so if it's not dead yet it's probably well on the way. I find I have to keep at it with the poison or they soon multiply.

[Buster54]

One of my allotment neighbours had a prob with rats taking his chicks he now has a head count of 104 rats to 4 chicks over a 4 week period  he used peanut butter on his 12 traps he aint had a rat for 2 weeks now

[Old bird]

I found a tunnel into my chickens run.   I have used poison along their track into the run and I keep putting poison in and it keeps disappearing - so I suppose I still have rats and mice - don't really know as I haven't seen them!

I have saved a fortune in chicken food though - I was really gobsmacked at how much food the birds were getting through until I found the rat run!

I am shutting them in (my girls) at night now and taking their food home so that there isn't anything there for the rats to break into the run for!

Old Bird

;)

[PHILMT]

I have now killed 14!!  I know i shouldnt but i do feel a little bad. Dont think i could split one with a spade.  i  have noticed already that the chicken food is lasting longer. its a pity you cant eat rat once you have killed them!  not sure i would want to though !

[littlebabybird]

its a pity you cant eat rat once you have killed them!  not sure i would want to though !

you can
you wouldnt want to
hopefully we will never be in a situation that desperate
lbb

[OllieC]

its a pity you cant eat rat once you have killed them!  not sure i would want to though !

you can
you wouldnt want to
hopefully we will never be in a situation that desperate
lbb

There's a campaign in parts of India to get people to eat more rat... Apparently it's better than chicken! But when your country has over half of all the malnourished children in the world, anything's an improvement!

[littlebabybird]

there are many worse things in the world to eat,
i would rather eat rat than worms or pickled eggs,
or belut.
eel is disgusting and whelks ughhhhhhh
lbb

[DebbieP]

If you don't want to be killing rats (I don't!) try a "rodent gard" - it's a battery powered rat repeller (so you don't need an electricity supplY).  It emits a high pitched frequency that puts off the rats - I've got one in my shed as rats kept eating my daughters rabbit food, it seems to have worked so far!  http://www.primrose-london.co.uk/rodent-gard-sonic-mouse-repeller-p-1618.html?cPath=24_25

[manicscousers]

hiya, debbiep, welcome to the site  ;D
thanks for that, I think we'll get one for the chicken shed, didn't know you could get battery powered..will have a word with the other chicken people..also, one for the garage, save my potatoes getting eaten  ;D

[OllieC]

I hope they work better than the cat ones!

[Old bird]

... and it doesn't upset the chickens too!

Old Brid

;D

[OllieC]

They upset me - the neighbours one makes me jump every time my cat goes to poo on his lawn! She (the cat) ignores it!

[sawfish]

There is this....

http://journeytoforever.org/at_rattrap3.html

I suppose you could use poison in something the chickens couldn't possibly get to, like an upturned wheelbarrow with a little space for them to get under.

I just use traps like big mouse traps and they work a bit. I reckon I'm going to build the bucket trap above and if that doesn't get them then its poison time.

[Kea]

If you don't want to be killing rats (I don't!) try a "rodent gard" - it's a battery powered rat repeller (so you don't need an electricity supplY).  It emits a high pitched frequency that puts off the rats - I've got one in my shed as rats kept eating my daughters rabbit food, it seems to have worked so far!  http://www.primrose-london.co.uk/rodent-gard-sonic-mouse-repeller-p-1618.html?cPath=24_25

Thanks for that info Debbie. I've got problems with poisoned rats tunnelling under my allotment shed to die! Sick of the smell. :(

[Robert_Brenchley]

Rat meat is supposed to be nice. I'd rather eat that than cowfoot any day.

[OllieC]

Rat meat is supposed to be nice. I'd rather eat that than cowfoot any day.

Hmmmm, you know if they were both on the menu you'd know you should've paid a little more attention to the holiday brochure!

[Robert_Brenchley]

The wife likes cowfoot, which comes from the market. It's OK for making stock, but if it gets on my plate, it's headed for the bin!

[Kea]

When I was a child (we lived on a farm) tongue was frequently on the menu lamb's mostly but occaisonally (and this was suposedly special!) calve's. Fortunately my children have never had these inflected on them.