Last night I saw a rat in my run. Finding it quite disturbing, I "shooed" it I have 2 pullets and they have not started to lay yet. The rat appears to have come for the food that is on the ground as I remove the feeder at night. Is this common? A health risk to my birds? Will rats steal/eat the eggs when they start to lay?
Do you have a potential rat nest near by? They can be a real problem if you don't take care of them. I would look for ant potential nest then eliminate them.
It will take your eggs eventually. You need to get rid of it now! Rats can also carry insects that can negatively impact your birds. Look online for Adios Cubes. I get mine thru www.epestsolutions.com. It is made with an anticoagulant as opposed to a "poison" so it is safer to have around if you have other pets or kids but it still does the job. It also has an insecticide that kills insects including mites! I chose it because studies have shown the active ingredients will not harm your birds should they come into contact with it, of course you don't want to give them the blocks but if they get a piece of it, no issues to the bird or its future generations. Good luck!
Yes, I was wondering about the issue of rats. What to do to prevent them and/or "remedy" them. I will be checking into the adios cubes too. Thanks for that. Any other tips???
Since removing the food nightly. (Thanks Rob) I have not had another visit from the rat. I live in an area that was once an orange grove. There are fruit rats everywhere BUT also a lot of other food sources. For me, it seems to be a matter of making food difficult to get. I've had urban chickens for awhile and I had just started leaving their food out overnight. Hence the rat. Live and learn. PS. There is a company called "Do it yourself pest control"in my area. They primarily focus on insects but they do have information on rodents. Perhaps you could "Google" them.
Just remember to use a good bait box/station if using a bait that contains a "poison" rather than an anticoagulant. Poisons can kill your birds and you don't want one that will show up in your eggs either. If in doubt about the product, call the company that manufactures the bait. They all have been very helpful and I am told that most will conduct a "bird study" prior to applying for their EPA license.
