big shock

[BUFFS]

my other half called me out of bed at 7am this morning to say there was a big rat in the coop area,and it was bl"""dy huge,i got out there and it was gone,then,looking round the back of the coop,just behind the left side supporting concrete block,i could see a hole,i thought all the floor there was solid brick,i dropped a spare driveway pavior down the hole ,end on,and have now surrounded that with half a dozen more,i was speaking to my old neighbour and it turns out that the old well is under that area,and years ago they just laid some really heavy slabs over it and put gravel over it all,we have been here for 10 years and now find out we have a 12ft drop down the well we knew nothing about,also told it had a stable beside it,we live and learn..OH says any more rolands and she will want the chooks removed,if the rats get any bigger,i will need an elephant gun to deal with them....

[shirlthegirl43]

Rats and chooks seem to go together. Ask at your feed merchants for 'tom cat' these pouches can be dropped in the rat run where Roland will take them home to feed the family.

[BUFFS]

feel more like hiring arnie to terminate them ,with the promise "ill be back"....

[Suechooks]

I've been lucky enough to have only seen 1 rat on the allotment but they are still around. It's said that no one is more than 6' away from one at any time in urban areas!
I have always kept bait boxes with Eradibait in the chicken runs and use the Tom Cat (or other makes) pouches to drop down any holes I find then put bricks or slabs on top. I also have an ultrasonic deterrent in the run.
I do put feeders up out of reach at night but there's always something there to attract them so I feel you can never be complacent about them.

[VirginVegGrower]

I've been lucky enough to have only seen 1 rat on the allotment but they are still around. It's said that no one is more than 6' away from one at any time in urban areas!
I have always kept bait boxes with Eradibait in the chicken runs and use the Tom Cat (or other makes) pouches to drop down any holes I find then put bricks or slabs on top. I also have an ultrasonic deterrent in the run.
I do put feeders up out of reach at night but there's always something there to attract them so I feel you can never be complacent about them.

I heard the same quote but was told 13'. We are rural here and they kind of go hand in hand so we weld meshed everything around the hens and put their coops and run on paving slabs. They can over time chew their way through wood. Take food in at night; that's what we do. We do have two terrors sorry I mean terrible terriers - the best rat deterrent in the world. The squirrels never come for the birds' peanuts when Tansy and Rupert are in the garden.

[chris]

That's another reason why I put in 100mm (150mm in some place, d'oh) of concrete for the run base - left a big overlap, and have used weldmesh and gravel boards - plugged up any holes. Haven't seen any yet, fingers crossed.

The feeders (and water) and up high (chickens have to stretch for them) so hoping that's enough!

[VirginVegGrower]

Evening CM sound like good precautions to me. Rats are frightened of humans anyhow. If you block their way into the feeders they can't do harm anyhow. I am not that girly where rats are concerned but toads....eugh!

[chris]

I don't mind them, its just the disease that bothers me (bit of a clean freak!)

[RichmondHens]

I would still be inclined to take the food away at night - a rat might not be able to get to it but mice can, they can squeeze through the tiniest gap. Although they don't present the same disease risk as rats you still don't want them pooping in the feed.

[chris]

I did wonder if they'd be able to get through 1/2inch mesh... Have been thinking about storing a small metal bin in there to put the food in overnight.

I have a mouse in the garage, that found my sack of corn and made a nest in it, quite annoyed as it was a full sack too! Ended up giving it to my neighbour as she feeds the birds.. which I guess is why the mice are around.

[VirginVegGrower]

We keep all food in the house as mice will find it in sheds and garages. Mice can flatten their bodies to get under gaps in doors so I doubt if weld mesh would be a problem. We double weld meshed ours, inside the frame and then outside too, deliberately mismatching the holes. But we don't leave anything to chance. All feeders and drinkers are brought in as the girls go to bed.

[baldrick]

basil my pet mouse could squeeze through 1cm weld mesh. I know i watched him! it feels odd thinking of rats and mice as the enemy now i have chooks as i kept them as pets for years.......

[BUFFS]

yesterday i slabbed the rest of the coop area,the 2x3 and 2x2 council type slabs,and covered any small gaps with heavy bricks,so lets see them dig out of that as there is no way for them to get in from the sides or roof..fingers crossed, egg production has been up for the last couple of days since blocking any ingress....

[Hilary B]

Getting rid of chooks won't get rid of rats, there are things that rats like in all sorts of places, the only difference about having chooks is the rats are more likely to be noticeable (and if they can get at the chook feed they may breed faster).

[Nicos]

Forget the rats....You have a WELL??????...how utterly fantastic!
...get yourself a submerged pump and you'll have a free supply of water...how brill is that????