Rats!

[OldForum]

puddleduck
I had no idea that rats ate chicken eggs.

How do you deal with mice/rats etc without using chemicals?

Mo
Well I've got a cat but that doesn't stop the mice getting into the loft or eating any apples I store in the garage, so I reluctantly use traps in the loft, and store the apples in the porch.
Is it fact or old wives tale that they eat eggs (I wouldn't put it past them)

Jeff
I had 2 problems to solve, 1 Rats that I ended uo using traps for, We bought a old farmhouse with the chicken coup loaded, caught 12 rats in traps and then discovered 2 Nile Monitor lizards , 5 feet long (caught them too) were eating and killing my free roamers. I put them in coups and the monitor lizards dug and broke into the pen killing all but three, 2 roosters and one hen before i caught them also! Now my hen won't set on her clutch so I need help, anyone know how I can get her to set?

Mo
Wow! How big are these lizards (don't have them here)?
Most of the hybrid hens we keep are bred NOT to go broody, and those that do, do it at their own time. So people use incubators I think.

[hobgob]

If you happen to know anyone with a ferret ask the for the contents of their litter tray, then distribute it round the edge of your property and it scares the rats away. Not tried it myself but a friend of ours had a rat problem at her stables, she took some of our ferrets leftovers and the rats disapeered.

[wendy]

Wow how interesting is that. I am back in the middle of another battle with the local rats.
I win some battles but never the war.
I like the idea I won't have to kill them to get rid of them, but I am afraid that is the way we are going at present.
I have a friend who has 4 ferrets. I will be raiding their litter tray and let you all know how we get on.
Wendy