Rat Proof Feeders

[KathJ]

We are currently experiencing problems with our little fury friends who seem to be wily little creatures evading all attempts to eradicate them Has anyone tried the 'Grandpa' feeder and what do they think of it or are there any other products out there anyone could suggest? We have a couple of girls who are very small so I just wondered if they'd be heavy enough to open the lid. I don't want to spend that much money on something that might not work! Also, we keep (kept) spare feed in a plastic crate but over the weekend one of the little blighters has found the weak point in the lid and gnawed a hole right through the top so any suggestions for rat proof containers that will hold a bag of feed also appreciated. I thought maybe a metal bin but looking online non of the lids seem to lock. We live in a very rural location so I know we'll probably never get rid of them completely but really need to deter them as much as possible!!

[Cheshire Chick]

Hi Kath. I bought a Homgar Rat Off Feeder ( look it up on google). To be honest I had a problem with a lot of mice that is why I initially bought it, but I started taking the food out of the coops at night and used Jeyes Cleaning Fluid which seemed to solve the problem and I have not used it. It is designed to hang up and only the chickens can eat the food out of the port holes. If a rodent tries to climb it the holes close. It did have a very good write up so take a look at it. Hope this helps.

[KathJ]

Thanks for that I will. When you mentioned Jeyes I seem to have a memory of reading that they don't like the smell. It might be worth spreading that around a bit as I think we have some somewhere.

[Cheshire Chick]

Kath - I believe that the Jeys is really effective. I put it down the mouse holes and covered them up with bricks so the chickens didn't get near it. They apparently hate the smell. It was a suggestion made by June and it has been a marvellous piece of advice.

[KathJ]

Thanks Cheshire Chick. I had a quick look online and a few sites mention it so we'll definitely give it go tonight and like you say pour some down the holes where they're coming up in the run. It says they find their way by the smell of previous urine so the Jeyes fluid masks this and makes them disorientated. I think it'll have to be an assault on many fronts

[sandy]

keep your eye on the holes though as they change their burrowing tunnels as i have discovered...mortar right down the hole seals it

[KathJ]

Well we spent all day Saturday moving everything from around the chicken shed. OH filled all the holes we could see with cement, we laid slabs all around the outside and up the side of the shed. We went to bed quite happy that non of the little blighters were going to get in now. walked in Sunday morning and there was rat poo again They certainly are determined little things. The new rat proof feeder came for the girls too so I've been trying to 'train' them on how to use it They don't like the noise it makes as it clunks a bit when they stand on it so that sends them running. Hopefully they'll get used to it but I think it's going to take a couple of weeks. We have to leave the lid up for the first week then move it down a notch so they can still see the pellets in there but the lid isn't properly open, then have it closed properly after another week. I think the rodent situation is going to be an on going problem I'm afraid

[KathJ]

Thought I'd just update on the rat proof feeder in case anyone else thinks of getting one. It was expensive (about £100 with postage) but I have to report after 3 weeks that it seems to be doing the trick. We haven't seen any furry friends around at all when we've been in the run and they were not bothered about us being there before and would run about quite happily We think there is still one getting into the coop shed at night (although we have no idea how it's getting in), it's not every night and there is only a little bit of poo. I think it's realising there's nothing left to eat and then moving on Thankfully the girls seem to have got the hang of standing on the step to open it too, we left it on the middle setting (with the lid half open) for an extra week as with us not being there during the day we wanted to make sure they were all eating but over this weekend I've seen them all using it at some point. It keeps everything tidy with hardly any spillage and all in all I would recommend it and it does seem to have reduced the pellets we're using now we're not feeding the rat population of Shropshire!!

[Cheshire Chick]

That's great news Kath - looks like you are winning the battle (touch wood). Sounds like a really good investment. It's not so bad if you don't see them blatantly running around. I suppose we will always have them around but the idea seems to be to keep the population down so we don't get overrun. Long may it last!!

[Cheshire Chick]

On this subject ... again. Can anyone recommend a rodent proof feeder that you don't have to hang up, i.e. a treadle type but which doesn't cost the earth. I bought a Homgar Rat Off Feeder that had very good reviews but I didn't realise how it had to be secured and we are unable to use it?? Got a bit of a problem with mice at the moment and I saw a rat in the garden today and it's really stressing me out!!!! Thanks everyone.