and ruining my lawn!!
2006-12-04 09:06:46 · 24 answers · asked by sarah h 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
goose, or we used to have a chinese silver pheasant, dayum he was a nasty bugger, excellent ratter
2006-12-04 09:18:03 · answer #1 · answered by OhSimonsBinDrinkin 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Its a common problem this time of year.
Obviously you want to ignore some of the advice above. Poison will mean you might kill your hens, and you can't eat the eggs. A dog will likely kill hens if it has a rat-killing instinct. Adn the "get a fox" advise......
We have traps,a couple of cats help as well.
Put traps inside clay drainage pipes, this creates a run that rats like, but stops the hens getting to them and hurting themselves.
Remove chicken feed at night, keep the run/house clean so there is no food to foraige for at night. Feed the hens early in the next morning. Collect eggs regularly
Ensure you have no holes in your henhouse - its supprising how small a rat can make itself. all gaps bigger than 20mm should be closed.
Put your chicken house on paving slabs. Ensure the surrounding ground has chickwire embedded in it so they get stopped underground. Everntually, they can gnaw through wire, but normally they get bored and go elsewhere.
And you are right, they can destroy grass, the burrows extend far and wide and can lower the level of a lawn quiet substantially. There is no point in trying to fix this while you still have the rats.
It a recurring problem where cleanliess is your best weapon.
2006-12-05 06:00:07 · answer #2 · answered by Michael H 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Two days put a little hamburger out.Avoid areas were the chickens can get to it,under things.If you don't have things get a piece of plywood, set it about 3-4 inches off the floor and place hamburger under it. Don't put a lot of hamburger out, just enough to give them a taste of something good.Skip a night and on the next night mix hamburger 1-1 with rat poison.Use plenty according to the infestation.Check as often as possible for dead rats, you will not want the chickens eating them or the bait.If bait is all gone quickly make sure you get some more out quickly.You want the rats to eat enough to die. To little will only make them bait shy.
2006-12-04 17:35:16 · answer #3 · answered by don_steele54 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some good answers-try Townex MOUSE poison(because mice eat so little the poison needs to be more effective) It is non-lethal to birds (alphachloralose) but is deadly to ALL mammals-so keep all cats-dogs-etc.well away. Rats and mice are often found with their noses in the bait.Put the bait inside a square 5 gallon plastic drum with rat size holes cut in it-put it away during the day. Good luck.
2006-12-07 18:23:25 · answer #4 · answered by mactheboat 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Digging down and using planks or wire is a short term solution. Rats will come back and eat through or find a way round it. Best bet is to keep the area as clean as possible to discourage them. try not to leave anything thats food for them to find. And as a last resort you could poison or trap them..
2006-12-04 17:17:48 · answer #5 · answered by xray_daddy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We use the grain with a poison on and put it just under the runs at night in small containers. You need to see where the rat run is and put it along that. Remember to remove it in the morning or push it as far under the pen as possible so birds and your hens cant get it.
2006-12-04 17:15:57 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buy or borrow a Jack Russell to guad he chickens let it scent the area you wont see the rats for dust. If you own a cat cut down on its food it will hunt them seem quite a brutal reponse but you want to preserve chickens? Good Luck
2006-12-04 17:21:44 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
In the old days, barns were mounted on mushroom shaped posts which stopped vermin from climbing up to the barn.
Not very practical for the run i suppose, but for the coop, maybe.
2006-12-04 17:16:38 · answer #8 · answered by efes_haze 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You could get traps, or a ferret and gun and shoot the vile things. Dont see how they ruining your lawn, thought that was moles, Dont make the same mistake my cousin did and shoot the ferret when it popped its head out. And I mean animal friendly traps before anyone shouts at me.
2006-12-04 17:18:03 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think rats hate the smell of peppermint(or is that mice) you could try that rat poison but it could harm your chickens and rats can become amone to poison Make what they call super rats that are even harder to eradicate
cats are good too. dogs also can help
2006-12-04 17:12:32 · answer #10 · answered by dislexic1yen 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Definately a Jack Russell Terrier, they love to kill rats!
2006-12-04 17:13:50 · answer #11 · answered by mistickle17 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋