Which rat poison & why

[minskey]

Which rat poison do you use & why.

It's the time of year when they harvest around here, wheat & corn very near to me this crop so It's time to top up the rat poison. I'm buying a new batch & always try to use a different brand when I do that.

I keep the poison in bait boxes but I have to consider my chooks who are penned in but sometimes pop out to see what I'm up to

[digthatchick]

None - why? ... just because I don't particularly like rats (and i have chooks) I don't see why I should kill them.

I try my best to keep them out of the garden (and with 6 compost bins that is not easy) Chook pen is concrete all round, food is in metal bins, so any that pass through ... live and let live.

I appreciate in your neck of the woods this is probably not practical.

[minskey]

I do all the same things as you with the food run etc; concerned about rats long before I have had chooks. trouble is I have a nut of a neighbour 50m from me who thinks its normal to have rats living in the wall and roof of your house. Keeps squillions of dogs in a dingy shed [they never see daylight] and keeps the food outside in sacks so they have food and a home. I feel terrible killing them but it only takes a few week of not putting poison down and you start seeing them in the daytime which always means there are more than usual about. Its not nice to sit out in the evening and they nick the food from the BBQ & run back next door; quite funny to see them carry a whole apple though

[Liza]

None - Why?

1) It causes a slow death.

2) Ive got a Jack Russell

[Two_Sheds]

I've never used rat poison, and our site doesn't have a problem with rats despite the presence of chicken & rabbits.

- we don't provide nesting sites for them (they like dry undisturbed places, in compost heaps or under sheds
- nobody leaves food lying around

We do have mice and voles on site, but they're part of the food chain (owls eat them): if they are found in compost heaps those heaps are watered until the meeces move on.

I did have mice in our garage last winter, because OH had left bags of his clothes unzipped on the floor and they nested in there, little boggers.