First Rat

[janeyo]

For the past few days I have heard scuffling in the shed when I've opened the door to get the chicken feed out.
This morning I saw the rat hopping over the lawn mower. Looooooong tail!

It can't get at the food as it's in secure bins but there is plenty of bedding material about (polystyrene for greenhouse / cardboard / fleeces etc). I have nowhere else to store these.

I know it's prob going into the chicken run and feeding on the bits they drop - why are they SO messy lol.

Best course of action? I don't really want to put poison down. We have 3 fat lazy cats who have shown lot of interest on the shed the past few days but not sure they'd catch a big rat.

[Jeanied]

You'd be surprised what a cat can do, you know. My avatar cat was a champion ratter! Otherwise a Jack Russell would do the job if you can borrow one.

[Eco-Chic]

I had rats in my shed long before I got the chooks. I think they got in during the winter when they were small and then couldn't get out when they grew. Every year I disposed of 4-6 mummified rats which had eaten compost activator and BF&B but not the bagged compost. The last couple of years I've left the shed door ajar so haven't had to dispose of bodies.

My cat doesn't rat, but my 2 JRs do and now I let them have the run of the garden once the chooks are tucked up, I hope the rats will clear off.

[janeyo]

My nextdoor neighbour has 2 jack russels. They are so evil the grandchildren don't even come round as too scared of the dogs. (yes I knwo not all JRs are like this).
Maybe I could borrow them once chooks are in bed. Otherwise they make a beeline straight for the fence with the chooks behind and terrify them!

[moola]

whatever you do Janeyo - do it quickly as if they are making themselves comfortable now, when it is relatively mild, goodness knows what they will be like later. Your cats should be safe with narrow tube systems weighted down. The carcasses would be more of a problem - I guess you'd need to make daily checks.

[frias]

I would shut the cats in the shed and let them earn their keep. I used to have a small female cat that would catch rats easily. I once came downstairs to find 5 large rabbits in the dining room. All had been dragged through the cat door during the night. Large goldfish were another of her favourites and although I never saw her catch one she chased squirrels and seemed to fly after them through the trees as easily as they did.

[winstonwobble]

The rats in my shed have chewed their way into a plastic dustbin to get at my hen pellets then have the cheek to go live under the chicken hut where it is warm have the same problem every year come summer they all go back to the fields roll on summer lol

[moola]

WW - if you raise your coop off the ground and use an aluminium/metal bin for the food you'll get rid.
dhhh - just realised you've got a shed. You should try running drainpipes along the sides loaded with treats one week, bait the next, then treats etc alternatively.... if you can load with a stick and wear gloves, you'll minimise your own scent

Just wante dto add - if they have already made tunnels underneath, block all but one end and smoke em . I think teh general rule is that if you do this once in a season you don't have to do it again!

[janeyo]

Thanks. When we first moved in the man from the house at the bottom of the gaden took great delight in telling me how they had had a rat problem under the existing shed.
That was when there were no chickens here.
I am surprised it took them so long to come back! lol (we have been here 20 months with the chckens and rat free.

I might get OH to put the poison under the shed. The cats can't get there.
Spoke to my neighbour and he says he is trying to make his JRs less agressive and so isn't keen on letting them do what they are meant to do! And want to do...

Anyone near me on the board got any JRs I could borrow

[janeyo]

Right, bought a rat trap cage thing today and have baited it with some mince and popped it in the shed.
Will see what happens.
OH not keen on killing anything we catch (he used to keep pet rats) so I guess he will have to find a lay-by on the way to work.

IF we catch it!

[moola]

Give it time J - that trap will smell new and smell of you. Leave it be for quite some time as those furries are clever whatsits. OUr best success, was to actually watch them at dusk. Work out what they did, where they went etc. Like all animals they have routines and habits. Mr M then went out witha gun and shot them all, one by one.

[janeyo]

Nothing yet... much to the disappointment of my 5 yr old! Round one to the ratty...

As my OH said, they have not surived millions of years without being a bit canny!

[Seamus]

hi janeyo, u could try putting poison into a piece of 4 inch waste pipe, it will have to be bout 4 ft long, rats will have no problem getting in but no other animal will get to it, put it in the middle and leave both ends open, but weight it down so a dog or cat wont spill its contents and eat them.

[janeyo]

I was kind of worried about one of my cats catching a poisoned rat. And eating it.

[Polly Fouracre]

I found a mouse in a bag of sheep nuts yesterday and caught him with the barbeque tongs! Then I didn't know what to do with him so put him over the fence into next doors garden!!
I dare say he will find his way back so have put down bait in safe bait boxes this morning.