RATS

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caerkev

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RATS
« on: May 19, 2010, 17:45 »
last week i saw three or four young rats in the chicken pen,also chickens caught one and killed it, went straight out and bought a rat trap, but the ruddy things will not go in there.
they go and have a look and walk straight past it, not even the chickens are interested in trying to catch the rats who just scurry past them.
did not really want to put poison bait down incase the girls pick up a dead one and eat it.
so what is the best way to get rid of these critters.
any help welcome please

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8doubles

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Re: RATS
« Reply #1 on: May 19, 2010, 18:38 »
What sort of trap is it and what are you baiting with ?

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ehs284

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Re: RATS
« Reply #2 on: May 19, 2010, 20:46 »
When you say,'poison', of what are you thinking? Most over the counter rodenticides are anti-coagulants and the dose a bird could pick up from eating a poisoned rat would be very small and not a problem. The rats will (I guess) be eating the chook food and they will prefer the chook food to the anti-coagulant and so never eat the bad stuff. The other consideration is the resistance of the rat to various poisons. Warfarin resistance is, of course, well known but their are other forms. Rats affected by anti-coagulants tend to go nto a hiding to die and it is unlikely that the chooks will find a carcase.
I'd suggest contacting the local authority pest control team. They will have proper bait boxes so the birds cannot eat it. They will also be familiar with local resistance and will have access to poisons which you cannot buy or use. You'll find them supportive and interested, but may have to charge. In the meantime have a good look at your biosecurity - food/water available to rats, holes around coop/sheds/walls etc. Wear gloves as diseases such as leptospirosis spread via rat urine can enter your body via scratches. HTH & Best of luck

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caerkev

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Re: RATS
« Reply #3 on: May 19, 2010, 23:40 »
What sort of trap is it and what are you baiting with ?
its similar to bate traps with a hole either end and the snapper device in the middle, i have baited it with tunar, also heard peanut butter and chocolate are good

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caerkev

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Re: RATS
« Reply #4 on: May 19, 2010, 23:44 »
When you say,'poison', of what are you thinking? Most over the counter rodenticides are anti-coagulants and the dose a bird could pick up from eating a poisoned rat would be very small and not a problem. The rats will (I guess) be eating the chook food and they will prefer the chook food to the anti-coagulant and so never eat the bad stuff. The other consideration is the resistance of the rat to various poisons. Warfarin resistance is, of course, well known but their are other forms. Rats affected by anti-coagulants tend to go nto a hiding to die and it is unlikely that the chooks will find a carcase.
I'd suggest contacting the local authority pest control team. They will have proper bait boxes so the birds cannot eat it. They will also be familiar with local resistance and will have access to poisons which you cannot buy or use. You'll find them supportive and interested, but may have to charge. In the meantime have a good look at your biosecurity - food/water available to rats, holes around coop/sheds/walls etc. Wear gloves as diseases such as leptospirosis spread via rat urine can enter your body via scratches. HTH & Best of luck
been to b&q this evening and bought the blue stained grain poison,put that where seen rats enter and away from the girls.

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alisonwo

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Re: RATS
« Reply #5 on: May 20, 2010, 07:58 »
We have the damn things in our compost heap, and did prior to getting our girlies, so its not just chicken feed that attracts them.  We have tried baiting with all different sorts of stuff, to no avail, although the dog killed one some months back.  I know the bait is being taken as I refill the box, so perhaps they are dying somewhere else and others replace them.  I wish I knew what the answer to getting rid of them is as they worry me.  alison

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8doubles

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Re: RATS
« Reply #6 on: May 20, 2010, 10:02 »
The trap and bait sound about right , it sometimes takes a while for the trap to `weather in' and loose it`s new smell. If you scatter a few pieces of bait outside the trap it often helps .
Melted on chocolate is a good long lasting bait as is maize stuck in place with silicone mastic.

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joyfull

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Re: RATS
« Reply #7 on: May 20, 2010, 10:08 »
I also find if you handle the poison blocks or even a trap do so with gloves that have been left overnight in the mixed corn (I use disposable latex gloves or even those blue free ones from petrol stations  ;)) this way the poison or the trap will not smell of human instead they will smell of the feed they want.
Staffies are softer than you think.

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caerkev

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Re: RATS
« Reply #8 on: May 20, 2010, 22:14 »
thank you all for your help and advice, i will let you know how it goes.

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shetan

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Re: RATS
« Reply #9 on: May 20, 2010, 22:27 »
i'm not sure of the name of my trap i think its rodentakil or something to that effect. comes in a black and red box and i got it from wilkos.

the trap has this sticky blue stuff inside and the rats go in to eat it, get trapped and die. the good thing about it is that other animals like chickens supposedly can't get in to it. i can't guarantee this as my trap is in the shed where the feed is kept.

the reason i'm posting is.....i caught a rat in the first trap i put down and promptly replaced it with a new one. somehow the trap got kicked and turned over. since then i have found 4 dead rats in the shed near the feed bin but none in the trap - which has been there for 5 months now!

moral of the story - if using this brand of bait box, use it upside down..the rats manage to get out somehow but it still kills them and you don't have to keep replacing it!
1 Husband, 3 German Shepherds, 3 Black Jersey Giants, 3 White Jersey Giants, 1 White Jersey Cross, 1Blue Buff Columbian Brahma, 2 Buff Columbian Brahma, 1 White Columbian Brahma,  3 Gold Brahmas, 2 Golden Quail, 2 Giant Continental Rabbits and a Sister!



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