[Arnfields]

I have found a tunnel under the hen pen fence which pops up under the coop.  I have moved a concrete slab over the offending exit/entry point but now there looks to be another hole appearing.  It is about 2 inches wide and I have a horrible feeling it is rats.  I have not seen any sign of droppings or much of a change in the amount of feed the girls are getting through.
We are surrounded by fields but the six foot fence has various craters and holes along the edge of it, most of which the girls have made but...
How can I tell if it is rats?  Don't want to put the wrong poison down, especially as we also have dogs, any help appreciated.

[joyfull]

sounds like rats to me I'm afraid. You can either put blocks down inside containers and check everyday before your dogs go out in-case there are any dead ones on the ground, eradibait is supposed to be safe for other wildlife (i use another sort and check daily  - my rats have gone through about 20 blocks in a week - farming and water area so will never get rid of them  ) or buy the killing type of traps either spring loaded or electric shock. There are also rat traps that catch them live but then you have to find a way of killing them (shooting or drowning) as releasing them elsewhere is illegal. Hope this is of some help.

[themagicaltoad1]

It's rats. We have the same problem. If you're going to put poison down you need to make sure your chooks & dogs can't get to it. We've tried poison... they ignore it, we've tried traps... after initial success again they now avoid them. You need to remove all food sources from the run each night so there's nothing worth tunnelling in for but even then they'll still be around.

[Arnfields]

Oh darn it!  Quite like the idea of electricuting the little blighters (evil laugh), will have a look at the stickies again for tips on laying bait,

Thanks all

[joyfull]

Before you handle the bait put a pair of disposable gloves into your feed bag for a few days (the sort that are free at petrol pumps are ok) and then pick the bait and holder up with them on - this way there is no human scent just feed scent. It works believe me I have gone from seeing 7 rats in one go to none last night and just 1 the night before.

[Arnfields]

Before you handle the bait put a pair of disposable gloves into your feed bag for a few days (the sort that are free at petrol pumps are ok) and then pick the bait and holder up with them on - this way there is no human scent just feed scent. It works believe me I have gone from seeing 7 rats in one go to none last night and just 1 the night before.

Oo thanks for the tip, will pick some up on the way home from work...

[themagicaltoad1]

What's "a shiny new lottie" by the way?

[Flowerpower136]

I've noticed the same thing in our chicken poo bin

Can't understand why on earth a rat or anything else would want to burrow it's way into there.  There's no food, just poo and some soiled bedding.  Its one of the darlek compot bins and when I take the lid off to put the picked poo in, its full of amonia.

Why would a rat want to go in there?  I've had a prod round with a garden fork, and nothing there during the day, but every morning the hole has been redefined, so it or they. are getting in during the night.   But why?

Have just put a Fenn Trap in there, so will be able to confirm what it is tomorrow, but am expecting a rat.  Hole is too big for a mouse and too neat for a mole.

[treacleminer]

I've noticed the same thing in our chicken poo bin

Why would a rat want to go in there?  I've had a prod round with a garden fork, and nothing there during the day, but every morning the hole has been redefined, so it or they. are getting in during the night.   But why?

 

It's nice & warm and sheltered and there are often lots of lovely worms to eat!

[scrappydoo]

  Hi All
I guess I'm a member of this club as well , I have a small regular morning hole underneath the front of my coop into the run, although food is raised off ground.
I have 3 plastic composters for the coming months compost, but the lined and covered one made of pallets which has the last six months poo etc in also has a nice 2 - 3 inch diameter hole in the pile.
Then there are the other holes that have appeared at the edge of the sheds. I have a cat & a Jack Russell and have never actually seen a rat, I wonder is it worth trying to catch these as surely they will be replaced by others ?

Best Regards

Steve

[SMD66]

I put poison down the holes then cover the hole with a slab or brick.  the rat will eat it down there and there is less chance of them carrying poison from one place to another. and the chooks getting at it.

Keep at it and you will find they disappear eventually.  Remove other food sources at night if you can too.

[Flowerpower136]

You should definately tackle them, becaue they breed like .........well like rats.  You'll be overrun with them, especially if they have a reliable source of food, ie the chucks food.

We had probs with them in the house walls last year   Eeeeeeeeek! and use the council pest man who used poison.  But it took ages to have any impact, and there were dead and stinky rats in the stone walls of the house

And we kept finding dead rats in the garden, and whats worse than that...... finding half a dead rat in the garden and a pleased looking dog.  Followed by frantic phone call to vets 

So I've gone off poison, and swear by Fenn traps (safely used because they are a serious bit of kit). 

[Flowerpower136]

I've noticed the same thing in our chicken poo bin

Why would a rat want to go in there?  I've had a prod round with a garden fork, and nothing there during the day, but every morning the hole has been redefined, so it or they. are getting in during the night.   But why?

 

It's nice & warm and sheltered and there are often lots of lovely worms to eat!

Yes, all of the above, but with choking amonia fumes?  Makes my eyes water when I take the lid off to put the daily poo in

[Arnfields]

What's "a shiny new lottie" by the way?

Hehe - it's an allotment which we have only just been given!  And luckily for us it is former farm land and has just been ploughed so no nasty weed/bramble/broken furniture etc to clear away!

[tomsbirds]

I had a rat problem when I first moved onto my allotment,the problem was they were only going into the hens two sheds but could not catch them elsewhere.I got some plastic drainpipe from the local recycling centre and cut it in 3 foot lengths,Put tinfoil on one end with a elastic band round to block the end off,I then put a snapper plastic trap (£19.99 inc postage on ebay) inside the drainpipe with kipper for bait.I caught 70 rats in the first week,with 7 loaded drain pipe traps.Altoghether I caught 157 in a 4 week period