Rats

[Gorsty]

Hi folks

My chicken house/run is on a concrete flag base but a rat has burrowed holes under the flags. So far it hasn't been able to knaw through into the coup as it is made from twilweld.

I hate the thought of using poison on it (and don't like the idea of killing anything I don't have to anyway) but MOH is not happy about having a rat around. We live out in the sticks and I think the rat(s) has been around the garden for some years but now it's so close to the girls, am concerned. We are careful not to leave food or water about after the girls have gone to bed.

Any advice on evicting Roland please. Have thought about putting a hose down and trying to flood it out and then cut sink twilweld into the ground around the flags - what do you think - will this work?

Thanks in advance

[Scarlet]

Unfortunately rats don't live alone. and they breed rapidly. You can look at treadle feeders for chickens as the feed is obviously attracting them. They are probably feeding from it during the day.
They don't like those metal scourers/used Brillo pads..you could try stuffing those down the holes with bits of rolled up wire but they will just find another way to get at the food source.
Personally I would be putting poison down or trapping them.

[veggiechicken]

I had a rat problem but haven't seen any since I bought a treadle feeder.

[Greenleaves]

I don't think you will eradicate them until as mentioned above, food is not on offer, I don't like poisoning things but have no problem with dispatching them with traps.

[Lisasbolt]

Try not to poison, you do not know where they will end up dying and what else will then eat them and subsequently get poisoned them selves.
Human traps are the way or get a couple of cats i have never had a problem and lots of people here in the country do but plenty of cats around.

[Stan79]

Fenn trap - Fenn Trap Mark 4 | Traps for Squirrels and Rats

Then you don't need to worry about bait... My father in law built a wooden 'tunnel' to cover his and to prevent anything larger getting access to the trap. Bait it without the trap set for a while so they get used to the trap and the tunnel and then after a few days set the trap and wait for it to snap.

[Stan79]

Oh, and another vote for getting a treadle feeder... they'll be having a munch in daylight when you're not around!

[Knight of Albion]

If you live out in the countryside, there will always be rats and mice etc. in the vicinity. The aim is peaceful co-existence.

I think the thing is to understand the rat. Takes a lot of time, effort and indeed, risk, to try and dig into your coop. There is only one reason the rat is doing that - to find food.
I would agree with the earlier posts, a treadle feeder is a must. Mr Rat will soon get the message that there's no point trying to get in if there's going to be no food at the end of it.

On the subject of understanding them. Contrary to what people think, they're actually remarkably clean, spend ages preening themselves and hate getting dirty! Wet soil also won't sustain an earth tunnel. So some buckets of water ... And it won't kill them, nor your livestock, or anything else, which poison would do.

But like I said, it's the prospect of scattered grain/feed that is attracting them. A rat-proof feeder would prove to be a worthwhile investment.

[Snadger]

I had a rat problem last year and found one of their runs. I stuck a hose down it and let it run for two hours! Didn't do a damm thing! My rats must have been water rats!
I've had no problem this year at all though by just using a spring feeder (designed as a pheasant feeder) set quite high so the chooks have to jump for food.

[Gorsty]

Hi folks

I do live out in the sticks so realise that rats and mice will be always be around - in fact I used to have pet rats when I was a girl so wouldn't be a bit bothered if he wasn't so close to my girls and like you say, where there's one rat there will probably be more.

Am going to see if the hose pipe & water may move him but have already sent off for two "live traps" and will give them a go - can't see me using poison. Will also take a look at those treadle feeders you hv bn on about.

Thanks anyhow for all your thoughts xx

[bearded bloke]

A treadle feeder will go a long way to reducing the problem.
I doubt very much if the hosepipe down the hole method will have any effect at all, traps really are the way to go, leave them out & baited but not set for 3/4 days, when the bait is regularly being taken bait & set.
Remenber to wear dispoable gloves when handling wild rodents, sadly they are not as clean & well preened as thier domestic pet relatives.

[veggiechicken]

This is the treadle feeder I bought and my neighbour had one too. NEW GALVANISED CHICKEN POULTRY DUCK TREADLE FEEDERS 8.5/15/25Kg HEAVY DUTY | eBay
We bought the 15kg ones but they seem to be out of stock at the mo.