How rats steal eggs from a chicken coop

How rodents can harm birds

The appearance of mice and rats in the poultry house is already a danger. These nocturnal predators can carry helminth eggs and scabies mites on their fur.

In addition, the animals are carriers of various infections, such as plague, rabies and leptospirosis. It is imperative to fight them; in addition to various diseases, rats destroy everything in their path, eat small chickens, gnaw through power cables, make holes in concrete, damage wood and other building materials.

Animals can easily determine that they are being hunted. Rats have a special sense of smell; they bypass established traps in other ways and remain unharmed.

Some scientists believe that animals can understand each other, which is how they communicate about danger. These animals lead a special way of life, care for old relatives, and also teach young people to identify the location of traps.

Humanity has been fighting rats for a long time, because they steal chickens and eggs.

Despite the advent of modern traps and baits, as well as other means, many poultry farmers carry out the fight using old antiquated methods. We will describe in detail the most popular methods of combating small predators.

Every birder knows about the ability of cats to hunt mice and rats, but not every animal can be used for such purposes.

Modern domestic cats have become very lazy; many breeds are bred for decorative purposes, and not for catching rodents.

Rat-catching cats are found quite rarely, and they also have a peculiar disposition. Despite this, pests can also be repelled by the smell of a cat.

Biological control methods include exposure to certain plants. Parasites are most afraid of the smells of elderberry or peppermint leaves. Raw materials from such plants can be bought at the nearest pharmacy or collected yourself.

When using mint infusion, it is necessary to soak a piece of cloth with this liquid, which is then placed in a mink. After such aromatherapy, the animals will leave the chicken coop.

If elderberry is used, then its branches must first be chopped and scattered on the floor of the chicken coop, and also stuffed into the holes.

If a large number of harmful animals are found in the chicken coop, it is necessary to use more effective chemical methods.

At the moment, this method of control is considered one of the most popular; it involves the use of pesticides. Despite its considerable popularity, the chemical method does not always give the expected effect.

In addition to rats, birds can also suffer from spilled poison, so the poison must be scattered carefully in places inaccessible to chickens. And one more disadvantage in favor of using chemicals is that animals quickly develop immunity to popular poisons.

Another disadvantage of using pesticides is the need to collect the corpses of dead rodents, and this is not a very pleasant experience. Chemicals must be used several times in a row to kill adult rats and their offspring.

This method of capture involves the use of traps, special glue baits and rat traps.

The main goal of hunting is the correct placement of baits so that chickens do not get into them. Pests most often pass near nests with eggs, but installation in these places is problematic. In most cases, rodents bypass baits.

Mechanical methods also include homemade rat traps. The simplest device can be made from a simple bottle.

Pour a little sunflower oil into the container and then shake it so that the liquid is evenly distributed over the walls of the container. For greater effect, put a piece of lard or sausage into the bottle.

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The main advantage of such a rat trap is the ability to use it anywhere in the chicken coop. Such a trap will not harm the chickens, but a mouse or small rat can easily get into the bottle, but will not get out.

Her paws will slide along the surface of the container. To catch large animals, it is recommended to use a bottle with a large neck.

Night predators have been harming chickens and other poultry for many years, so craftsmen have come up with a lot of ways to get rid of these dangerous pests.

One of these methods is to sprinkle holes with ordinary wood ash. This substance contains alkali in large quantities, which will corrode the legs of predators during hunting.

Rats will lick the ash, but it will enter the oral cavity and esophagus and lead to the destruction of soft tissue and the possible death of the animal. The second folk method of getting rid of pests involves making a special dish that contains flour, lime, sugar and alabaster.

It is difficult for a hungry animal to refuse such a treat, but after ingestion, lime will begin to destroy the esophagus, alabaster will lead to blockage of the intestines and further death of the pest.

You can drive away pests as follows. We take a caught rat, put it on a shovel, pour gasoline or alcohol on it and set it on fire.

With this carcass you need to walk around the chicken coop several times. It is believed that rats do not tolerate the smell of their fallen relatives well, they will be forced to leave the chicken coop for a while.

There is another popular folk method of exterminating pests. To implement it, you need to catch 10-20 live rats and place them in a closed container.

After some time, the animals will feel hungry and begin to eat each other. As a result of natural selection, the strongest animal will survive and adapt to the meat of its relatives. This rat needs to be released into the wild, where he can destroy the entire population.

Ultrasonic repellers

One of the most common methods of control is the use of an ultrasonic repeller.

This device has a mild effect on animals; its ultimate goal is not destruction, but scaring away animals.

When the described device operates, frequency vibrations are created that cannot be felt by the human ear and poultry, but the sounds produced are considered unacceptable for rodents.

As you know, rats can get used to various unfavorable conditions, but the ultrasonic repeller is designed in such a way as to change the oscillation frequency. This will prevent pests from getting used to it, and the device’s coverage area is quite large.

How to get rid of rats using chemicals

Rats are not only harmful and dangerous animals, they are also cunning, which complicates the process of fighting. Control methods such as setting traps are not always effective, since rats easily bypass them. They will always find a loophole into the chicken coop, even if it is equipped with a strip concrete foundation. These pests easily make a dig, after which they enter the room and do their dirty work. However, their nest may be located in a completely different place.

Over the course of many centuries, man has been able to come up with quite reliable ways to protect poultry and get rid of rodents. There are rat-catching cats, but it is very difficult to find such a hunter. Regular house cats don't want to catch mice, let alone rats. Therefore, we have to resort to traditional methods of struggle, as well as the use of chemicals. The most important thing is to start the fight in time so that the rat does not have time to “clean up order” in the chicken coop.

Toxic substances are used only in extreme cases when rodents cannot be controlled. There are ultrasonic repellers, but they do not act so quickly. During this time, rats can cause serious damage to the owner.

On a note! Since there is poultry, toxic substances must be used very carefully, otherwise chickens can be poisoned along with the rats. The poisonous bait is placed so that poultry, including pets, cannot reach it.

How to Protect Chickens and Pets from Poisonous Bait Poisoning

Pets and birds often die after they manage to reach the bait. Therefore, it is very important to protect them from chemicals. Many owners use one suitable method that does not require any time or money. To make the necessary device, you will need materials that can always be found on the farm, plus, you will have to spend very little time. Despite the simplicity of the device, with its help you can protect yourself from troubles.

Stages of manufacturing the device:

Take a wooden box. It is better if it has a lid that opens so that it is convenient to place the bait.
Holes 8-10 cm in size are made on all sides of the box so that rats can easily get inside the box.
Cats, dogs, chickens and children will not fit into such a hole.
A wooden box with bait can serve as an additional perch for chickens.

Many owners use chemical control agents because they act quickly and effectively. At the same time, care must be taken to ensure that toxic substances cannot be tasted by pets and birds. If you have such confidence, then you can safely begin the operation to exterminate rats.

how to deal with rats. rats in the chicken coop. Watch this video on YouTube

Means "Goliath"

Technical data:

An effective drug that has the function of mummifying dead animals.
This drug is used by special services. The substance is sold in volumes from 1 to 10 kg.
The action of the drug is based on the fact that when the substance enters the stomach of a rodent, it causes a feeling of oxygen starvation, after which the rodents try to get out of their hiding places.
After 10-12 days, the individuals begin to die, after which they become mummified. This does not alarm the other rats, and they continue to try the bait, after which they die.
For 1 kg of a toxic substance you will have to pay 2800 rubles, and for 5 kg - all 9000 rubles.

Carbonation

It is the indoor spraying of substances such as chlorine, hydrogen phosphide and carbon monoxide. This processing method is very complex and requires certain knowledge and skills. Therefore, aeration is used only in large poultry farms. The work is usually carried out by disinfection service employees.

You can use the pollination method. Poisonous powder is scattered on the floor, which sticks to the paws and fur of rodents. Rats are very clean, so they lick themselves often. Thus, particles of powder enter the stomach, causing poisoning and death. This method is very effective, but is not suitable for a chicken coop.

Means "Ratid-1"

Description of the substance:

An effective product is produced in Ukraine and is intended for use in both non-residential and residential premises.
Available in granule form.
One package (40 granules) is enough to rid the chicken coop of rats.
It has the property of mummification, which prevents the decomposition of dead carcasses, eliminates the smell of the chicken coop and makes it impossible for poultry to become infected.
There is an improved version of the product - “Ratid-2”.
The product is sold at an affordable price - for 100 g of poison you need to pay 60-70 rubles.

Everyone should know this! Any of the drugs is accompanied by instructions for use. Under no circumstances should it be ignored. A high effect directly depends on compliance with proportions.

Storm

The drug is quite cheap and effective in the fight against rats. Sold in briquettes individually and in sets of 4 pieces. There are also packages with pellets (granular substance) and in containers up to 16 kg.

Mortorat

With the help of this substance you will not have to search for and remove rodent corpses. The drug mummifies them. It differs from other baits in its high efficiency and safety of use.

Appearance: a briquette with a gel-like substance, carefully packed so that there is no contact with the skin (it is better to use gloves when working).

A hole is laid in the hole and then sealed with plaster or cement. There will be no one left to damage the walls.

Rat death

Purpose: large-scale persecution of all types of rodents. The Italian manufacturer guarantees quick freedom from pests.

Sold in two versions. Difference in composition:

first option: the main component is brodifacoum;
second type: the basis is bromadiolone.

Ratindane

The bait is effective. Used only in combination with additional ingredients (food). Methods of use: pollination, dilution in liquid or with food.

How to keep chickens safe when using poisons

As we can see, there are plenty of methods for scaring away rats and mice, but most traps or baits can harm the birds themselves.

To prevent rodents from entering your chicken coop, you must follow a few simple rules . First of all, build the shed correctly, make a foundation and concrete the floor, which will prevent rodents from entering.

If the building stands on several supports, dig approximately 30 centimeters of iron sheets around the perimeter of the building. Usually animals make their way into the poultry house through an earthen tunnel, which is why it is important to install a concrete floor.

It is not advisable to place grain reserves in the barn or leave food in feeders overnight. It is especially necessary to monitor young chickens carefully, since predatory animals can destroy a significant part of the flock.

Small chicks are blocked with a metal mesh not only around the perimeter, but also in the upper part. There are many ways to kill or scare away rats, so every poultry farmer can choose the most suitable option for himself.

How to get rid of rats forever, see the tips in the following video:

dachniki.guru

Yes, rats steal eggs from the chicken coop. I personally saw a picture of how they do it:

The rat holds the egg with two legs, walks along the floor with its hind legs, and holds prey with its front legs, but does not move standing, but crawling. In the same way, the rat began dragging the egg along the ceiling! She held the egg with her two front paws and crawled along the ceiling with her back paws. How is this possible? It’s simply incredible, if I hadn’t seen this in person, I would never have believed it.

Why did rats steal eggs? Most likely because of the chickens inside, since they only stole from us the eggs that were under the hatch. We learned about the thieves because of the chickens; the birds made such a fuss when the rats raided that we had to go to their chicken coop to investigate. The kitten was then taken into the house and the rats were poisoned.

I wish you a speedy victory! - 3 years ago

www.bolshoyvopros.ru

Signs of pests

You can minimize the consequences and damage caused by the gray “guest” if you monitor the condition of the farm, animals, and birds. The first signs of the appearance of the pest will be restlessness of the hens and a decrease in egg laying. Next, you can observe the carcasses of strangled chicks and a specific smell in the chicken coop. Having noticed this, inspection of the premises and their disinfection should be carried out regularly. The farmer’s main task becomes to protect and rid the farm’s inhabitants from the gray “plague.”

Litter

A rat, even one individual, always leaves litter. The feces are oblong and dark brown in color. Can be confused with mice. But they are larger. The droppings are left mainly in corners or near food.

Interesting fact! A mouse and a rat cannot live under the same roof. If you notice that suddenly all the mice in the area have disappeared, this is the first sign of a rat infestation. It is worth notifying your neighbors about a possible threat, and jointly choosing a way to calculate its location and destroy it.

New holes

The rat makes new moves for escape and escape. It is important for the animal to have several such “doors” so that it can escape when meeting a person. The sounds that the rodent makes are quite loud and can be heard even in the chicken coop. Almost every day the rat adds a new hole in the floor, walls and doors of the poultry house.

Strangled Juvenile

During the first few weeks, the rat settles in and prepares an escape route. Then he starts stealing eggs, i.e. something that is less noticeable. But the longer she runs the chicken coop, the more she allows herself. If a strangled chicken is found on the floor, it’s time to sound the alarm, set traps and bait to catch the pest.

Damaged wires

Not necessarily, but in 80% of cases, problems with electricity may arise in household plots and agricultural buildings. Any damage to the wire means the presence of a rat.

Specific smell

Sudden change in odor in the room. It is more sugary, with a bright ammonia hue. Enhances amber in corners and less ventilated areas.

How can rodents harm chickens?

Rats and mice can carry infections such as plague, rabies, leptospirosis, helminth eggs, and scabies mites. They also damage everything they encounter along the way. Plastic, drywall, and wiring suffer from their presence.

In addition to the special smell, other signs will tell you when a rat appears in the chicken coop. Many poultry farmers know how rats steal eggs from the chicken coop and strangle the young. These creatures also do not hesitate to feast on grain.

Dealing with rodents is not easy, because they are smart and able to bypass set traps. Also, by nature, the rat is endowed with one feature - it can communicate information about danger to its relatives.

There is a clear hierarchy in the rat kingdom. Here it is customary to look after the elders and teach the young not to fall into human traps.

The main reasons for the appearance

Smart animals, when choosing a place where they can safely live and breed, take into account many factors. Therefore, the chicken coop is an ideal place for them:

Variety of food products. Here you can not only stock up on grain and feed, but also enjoy eggs. Adult rats may well attack chickens.
Suitable air temperature and humidity. Both birds and rodents have completely the same preferences in this matter, therefore, the more caring the owners of chickens, the more comfortable it is for rats and mice.
The ability to easily enter the premises through various openings for chickens. And if the structure does not have a solid foundation, then making holes by digging is as easy as shelling pears for rodents.

Rat

Sometimes rodents take up residence with neighbors and only visit the poultry house for food. This happens if owners seek to protect their farm from rodent infestation.

Rodent control methods

The fight against rats in the chicken coop, which not only run around the floors, but also cause a lot of trouble for poultry and its owner, has been fought by humanity for many years.

Biological methods

To prevent rodents from stealing chicken eggs and strangling your pets, you can get rid of them using biological methods. Unfortunately, many cats and dogs today have lost their natural instincts as rat catchers. But you will need an animal that can still catch pests. But don’t eat them, of course, but simply crush them and take them out of the room. Although a real rat-catcher cat is very rare these days, it is believed that even its mere presence and smell can repel rodents.

In addition to establishments for exterminating pet rats, plant odors are often used. They are natural repellents that have proven themselves in repelling parasites.

Rodents do not like the scents of elderberry and peppermint. Alternatively, peppermint essential oil can be used.

You can buy it at any pharmacy, and it is more convenient to use than herbs. If you use plants, you need to put their branches into holes and place them in places where animals move. It’s easier with oil - pour it onto a piece of material and place it in the hole.

This group includes traps, mousetraps, and glue baits used by breeders to help remove rats. The difficulty in using traps lies in their correct placement. Otherwise, a chicken might end up there too. Given the fact that rodents can steal many eggs, mousetraps should be placed near nests. And hope that the pest will not be too clever to avoid the trap. Another effective remedy is glue traps. They will help destroy mice and rats. But in some cases, a physically strong rat is able to escape from the trap. The difficulty is that the owner of the poultry house will have to decide whether to release the captive or kill it.

Craftsmen also make traps from scrap materials. How to make such a simple device yourself? For example, take a bottle into which a little sunflower oil is poured. She is shaken. Sausage, cheese, lard will serve as additional bait. This trap is not dangerous for chickens. For a rat, unlike a mouse, a bottle with a narrow neck is not suitable. The principle of operation of the device is simple. The rodent, attracted by the smell of the bait, climbs inside, where it slides its paws through the sunflower oil, and at the same time it tends to be unable to get out.

Chemical methods are usually used in an emergency. For example, if the population of rodents in the poultry house exceeds the permissible amount. The use of insecticides today is recognized as the most effective. Its only disadvantage is that rodents often quickly adapt to one poison, and next time they have to use a different remedy. Sometimes the poison can harm chickens, pets, and children, who can simply find it and eat it. Therefore, when unfolding it, you should carefully hide the poison in inaccessible places. The drugs “Rat Death”, “Zookoumarin”, “Ratindan”, “Krysid”, and zinc phosphide have shown themselves to be excellent in practice.

You can use indirect anticoagulants and drugs based on Bitrex (denatonia benzoate). The inconvenience of using poisons is the need to collect rodents in the poultry house after their use. In addition, a rat can die in the yard, which is also not a pleasant sight. The processing procedure must be carried out several times. Then you can realistically count on the fact that the drug that destroys pests will eliminate them all completely, and new ones will not come to replace them.

The desire to get the ubiquitous rats out of the chicken coop has led people to try methods, many of which are quite eccentric. In one embodiment, it was supposed to scatter wood ash along the walls and near the holes. It contains alkali, which gets on the animals' paws and irritates them. When victims try to lick off the unpleasant substance, it enters the esophagus and causes irritation.

The following mixture is also prepared for pests: combine alabaster or gypsum with flour, add lime and sugar. Eating “delicacies” provokes a burn of the insides. The method is not humane, but it is effective.

In order not to condemn even harmful but living creatures to such a long and painful death, it is permissible to place a barrel half filled with water in the poultry house. Pieces of meat or lard are placed there for bait. A ladder of boxes is made nearby. In the morning you will be able to collect a solid “catch”.

They also take part of a rat carcass, put it on a shovel, pour alcohol on it and set it on fire. After which you need to walk around the room with her. It is believed that after such fumigation, there will be no rodents in the chicken coop for about a year.

There is another method, but due to its cruelty, few bird owners are willing to use it. About ten rats are caught with this spruce and placed in a barrel or other closed space. Captives must not be fed or given water. Starving animals soon begin to fight for survival. The weak are eaten by the strong. When the strongest male remains, he is released and begins to destroy his relatives.

Ultrasonic repeller

A modern and already popular method of expelling rodents is the use of an ultrasonic device. How to remove pests with it? This method is not cruel, since it does not kill the animals, but creates conditions that are not comfortable for them to live.

Endowed with the property of producing vibrations at a frequency that cannot be detected by human senses, but is perfectly heard by rats. The convenience is that it prevents pests from becoming addicted, since the oscillation frequency changes periodically. The device will not harm the inhabitants of the chicken coop and will cover a large area. Although the repeller is considered safe, experts advise turning off the device when you collect eggs or clean the room.

Poison in the chicken coop. In no case?

It should be understood that no matter what the poisoned bait for rats is and no matter what it looks like, there will definitely be chickens who will find it and taste it. Moreover, if the owner of the chicken coop himself is not particularly worried about choosing a product. As a result, there are numerous cases of chicken poisoning with rat poison, most of which resulted in the death of the birds.

The main symptoms of chickens being poisoned by rat poison are refusal to feed, lethargy, ruffled feathers, incoordination, trembling, convulsions, vomiting and bloody droppings. These signs may appear immediately or within 1-5 days, depending on the toxic substance.

In cases of poisoning of a large number of birds, it is advisable to contact a veterinarian to provide qualified assistance; in case of isolated poisonings, you can act independently. Your task is to remove the toxin from the body as quickly as possible. To do this, you need to rinse the stomach with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or activated carbon by oral administration (you can use a syringe) in a volume of up to 2/3 of the crop.

On a note
You should not eat eggs or meat from birds that have been poisoned. There are known cases of poisoning by the eggs of such chickens even 10 days after treatment. Depending on the toxic substance, the process of removing the poison from the bird's body can take more than 2 weeks. A veterinarian can give an accurate prognosis.

But let’s return to the considered method of getting rid of rodents in a chicken coop using poison and note another of its inconveniences - the need to search for and collect dead rats in order to avoid infecting domestic animals with pathogens, the appearance of an unpleasant odor, as well as possible eating by their relatives.

As a result, there are only two acceptable ways to exterminate rats in a chicken coop using poison:

All chickens are temporarily transferred to another room, and poison, for example, “Rat Death” or “Zookoumarin” is laid out in the old chicken coop. The rats die, then the chicken coop is cleaned and the birds return. To implement this method, additional space and about a week or two of time are required;
Another option is possible - the same box is placed in the chicken coop as for installing a rat trap. A heavy ceramic plate is placed in the box and beer is poured with the addition of liquid poison for rats (Brommus, Bromed, Brodifan, Indan-Fluid, etc.). The principle here is that rats willingly drink beer and smell it well, but they will only be able to eat poison in the closed box itself, where chickens will not get into. The same can be done if you replace the beer with milk, but in this case the process may take longer because the milk does not smell as strong and rats may not immediately detect it.

As in the case of traps, to prevent chickens from eating rat poison, it can be placed in special plastic houses available for sale today, which are analogues of homemade boxes. Here you should also use only liquid poisonous baits that the rats will not be able to pull out of the house. However, in general, these bait stations are quite expensive, and it can be easier to make your own from a cardboard box, which allows you to effectively get rid of rats without additional cost.

Precautionary measures

To prevent rodents from appearing in the poultry house in the future, you need to build it correctly. It is best to make a foundation for the chicken coop. At the stage of this creation, you should add broken glass to the concrete or lay it out in the corners, and then make a screed. When a poultry house is built without a foundation, on supports, it is necessary to deepen the iron sheets around the perimeter. The depth of their digging into the ground is no more than 30 cm.

Since rodents most often enter the poultry house through digging in the ground, such obstacles encountered along the way will be able to stop them. If, during periodic inspection, you find cracks or holes in an existing chicken coop, you must concrete them.

Poultry house reconstruction

Protecting the chicken coop is the main task of the poultry farmer. It is necessary to take care of the safety and comfortable stay of chickens in the poultry house at the stage of building the building. To drive out rats or prevent their appearance, you need to create unfavorable conditions for pests. Since it will not be possible to deprive food, you need to worry about the tightness of the chicken coop.

There should be no gaps in the walls. Rats are so nimble that they can get into the smallest gaps. Aluminum sheets can be nailed at a distance of 1 m in height. Chickens nest at heights and only come down to the floor to peck food. They won’t be placed in airtight walls, but they will be protected from dangerous rats.
Install metal doors. The windows should have glass or a strong mesh with small cells. It is better to concrete the floor. The rat will chew boards, polystyrene foam, foam rubber, and various insulation materials.
Try to keep the poultry house clean. Regularly remove chicken droppings, clean food containers, and remove eggs in a timely manner.

If it is not possible to carry out a thorough reconstruction of the chicken coop, they begin to search for effective methods. You can destroy rodents yourself. If efforts do not give the desired result, they turn to specialized rat extermination services that will carry out deratization.

Rats steal eggs from the chicken coop: how to deal with it?

01/18/2018 111 Views

Poultry owners should monitor the area in which chickens are kept to ensure that there are no rodents in the area. Usually, novice poultry farmers notice dexterous and cunning animals in their yard when they begin to carry chicken eggs. When such uninvited guests are first discovered, you should get rid of rats in your home chicken coop as quickly as possible. This will protect chickens from dangerous diseases, malnutrition and injuries, mortality of young animals and a general decrease in productivity. As means of control, you should choose safe and effective methods, correctly using various methods of exterminating such rodents.

How to solve a problem

The first step is to identify the egg eater. To do this, the head, feathers and beak of each chicken are examined. The culprit is identified by traces of dried yolk. If the procedure does not produce results, a dummy egg filled with food coloring is used.

A bird with a colored beak moves to an isolated place. She is returned to the chicken coop only if she gets rid of the bad habit.

After determining the exact cause of the pecking, the necessary measures are taken. There are several options to solve the problem.

If changing the diet and improving living conditions do not have the desired effect, you can use traditional methods. Eggs are replaced with white dummies made of wood, plastic, or salt dough. This method quickly gets rid of a bad habit.

Replacing the contents of the egg helps a lot. The white and yolk are extracted with a syringe. The shell is filled with mustard or a mixture of hot spices. Their taste discourages them from pecking at the eggs.

The article describes simple and effective ways to solve the problem. If they do not bring results, and the bird’s behavior cannot be corrected, it is sent for meat.

Source

The danger posed by small rodents in the poultry house

It is unacceptable for rats to get into the chicken coop, since these animals are carriers of dangerous infectious diseases and are able to harm the poultry house even in small numbers. The danger is not only that rats steal eggs from the chicken coop. They can infect chickens and even people with dangerous diseases such as:

These animals are also capable of attacking not only chickens, but also hens. There are known cases where rodents chewed off the paws of laying hens in their sleep. In addition, such animals can spoil not only the grain for food, but also the premises itself. They gnaw holes and passages in various materials, damage electrical wiring and even concrete walls.

Poultry owners can get rid of rats in the chicken coop in different ways, choosing the most suitable one for the specific conditions of keeping the chickens. But no matter which control method is chosen, it should be remembered that a number of important factors must be taken into account when using means of exterminating dangerous rodents. This will avoid mass poisoning of chickens and simplify the disposal of rat carcasses eliminated due to the use of chemical and mechanical control methods.

You should be prepared for the fact that removing rats from a poultry house will not be so easy. These are very smart animals that are not easy to catch. Unlike mice, they have collective skills and often warn their relatives of danger. These animals, like no one else, know how to bypass traps and traps prepared for them and have extraordinary intelligence.

Poultry house owners must be prepared for a long battle with this type of rodent in order to get rid of them forever.

You can fight these rodents in a barn where poultry is kept in different ways:

Each type of rat extermination method has its own pros and cons that must be taken into account when using it. This will allow you to avoid mistakes, which is very important, especially when using dangerous chemicals, from which, in addition to rats, chickens can also suffer.

Damage caused by rats

Rats are a real problem for households. If there is only one individual living in a chicken coop, the problems can be serious, but if there are several, it is difficult to even imagine what they are capable of.

You can expect a lot of trouble from rats:

They eat and spoil eggs.
They attack chickens.
They can infect birds with dangerous diseases.
Subsequently, the diseases are transmitted to the owners.

Protecting the chicken coop from rodents. Watch this video on YouTube

Mechanical means

Often, chicken coop owners begin to use traps and snares if they have rats in their house. This is an effective way to control rodents, but traps and snares should be positioned properly and away from roosts to protect the chickens themselves from being caught.

There are snares for catching live animals and traps in which they die. When installing such structures in a chicken coop, you should use special boxes with a narrow entrance, which will make the traps inaccessible to chickens. You will have to use odorous products as bait that could attract rats into the trap.

If chicken coop owners do not know what to do with a live rat caught in a trap, then they should use traps and snares in which the animal will die. After this, it will be easier to dispose of the pest carcass by burying it away from the poultry house.

Using rat repellers

The use of repellers is more humane than the use of poison. Ultrasonic, mechanical and biological devices are commonly used to repel rodents. At the same time, the inhabitants of the poultry houses do not experience any unpleasant sensations. And rats will not come close to the area where such devices are located.

Ultrasound devices.

Such devices are plugged into sockets, but the ultrasound is not perceptible to humans, and the rats in the poultry house lose the ability to navigate in space and lose their appetite. Because of such inconveniences, these animals prefer to move en masse to another place where there will be no such devices.

Mechanical devices.

Typically, specialized stores offer the following mechanical devices for catching rats - traps or rat traps. Food is attached to special pins, and when you try to take it, a mechanism is triggered and the trap is triggered.

These devices can be safely used indoors. Currently, powerful rat traps are sold, which can catch several rodents at a time. At home, they also use homemade traps by spreading special glue on a solid base in front of the food.

Biological agents.

This method is the simplest of all, except for the need to remove dead animals.

To combat rats, their natural enemies are used - owls or cats. Street cats fight rats more actively - real rat traps have an elongated, pointed muzzle.

Biological protection products for poultry houses

The most natural and safest way for others to combat such rodents in a private backyard is to use small domestic predators in the form of cats and special breeds of dogs, which are natural enemies of rodents.

In addition to animals, you can also use plants whose smell rats cannot stand. These include mint and elderberry. To scare away such uninvited guests, you can place fresh branches of these plants or rags soaked in mint oil in their holes.

You can also poison the rat population with special chemicals, placing them in the chicken coop in places protected from chickens. Care should be taken to ensure that the bird cannot ingest the poison. Poisoning often occurs in hens and chickens after using chemicals against rodents. To protect poultry during rat poisoning, it should be completely removed from the chicken coop and returned again after a few days, when the room is cleared of poison residues and rodent corpses. The following can be used as effective poisonous drugs:

Prevention measures

In order not to think about how to remove rats from the chicken coop, you should prevent their appearance. For this:

regularly clean and clean the poultry house;
monitor the condition of the walls and floors of the room;
carry out prevention using traditional methods or chemicals in a manner that is safe for the bird.

Rat poison

Any of the poisons is suitable as a preventive measure (Rat poison for mice and rats: how it works and which is the most effective, read the article here). To do this, if any holes or cracks are found in the floor and walls of the chicken coop, the selected product is sealed into them. Repellent plants are popular: elderberry, mint, wild rosemary and others.

Glass and crushed stone

Spring work on landscaping agricultural buildings and houses will help prevent the appearance of rats. Prepare a mixture of crushed stone and broken glass. Sprinkle around the perimeter behind the barn, and additionally seal into new cracks in the building. Glass shards injure the animal, which creates discomfort for existence. Rats will no longer go to such places.

Chicken coop walls

For the safety and comfortable keeping of chickens, it is advisable to reconstruct the barn. You won't need to spend a lot of money. It is necessary to purchase glass wool and embed it in the walls and floors. This is excellent thermal insulation and protection against rodents of all types.

Important! You can tear off the floors in the chicken coop and when laying new ones, make the bottom layer from a mixture of ash, crushed stone and glass.

Animals

A representative of the cat family is suitable as a prophylactic agent. For these purposes, a mongrel animal is suitable, but with an elongated nose. Or buy Sphynx or Siberian cats. The reason for these recommendations: most cats are afraid of rats. That's why they don't even approach them.

Using repellent ultrasound

Modern progress offers such an innovation as ultrasound, with the help of which animals are scared away from the chicken coop. Ultrasonic waves operate at a frequency that rats can detect. It affects the hearing of animals, causing panic and fear, as a result of which the animals leave their usual habitat.

For such protection to work, you need to keep the device constantly on in the chicken coop. Most of these devices operate in economy mode and consume little electricity.

Ultrasonic repellers

You can fight rats with sound. The device produces a sound of a certain vibration. Humans do not feel it, but rodents are good at detecting it. This background does not harm chickens either, so only rodents feel the effects. You can quickly and safely remove pests using ultrasonic repellers.

Professional sound repellers are produced by domestic and foreign manufacturers. Particularly popular are Chisty Dom, Tornado, Grad-A, Pest Reject, and Elektrokot. Range of action up to 1000 sq. m. Devices operate on electricity. In a large chicken coop, several devices are used at once. A prerequisite is the availability of a free exit for rats.

Unpleasant sound affects the nervous system. Unable to withstand the psychological stress, the rodents flee. Such humane methods of fighting rats in a chicken coop will expel a whole army of rodents and will protect them from reappearance. The effect is felt within 1-2 weeks after installing the repeller.

If there is no exit in the room, the rats will go crazy; their actions in this state are unpredictable.

Traditional methods of controlling rodents in a poultry house

In addition to these methods, you can use traditional methods that have been proven over centuries:

Using ash that is scattered on the floor of the chicken coop. The alkali contained in it corrodes the paws of rodents, and if it gets into the stomach, it has a detrimental effect on its mucous membrane. Usually after this the animals leave the chicken coop.

Using alabaster and lime to prepare poison. These components are mixed with flour and sugar and placed in rat habitats. Place a bowl of water nearby. After eating the bait, the alabaster seizes inside the animal, causing it to die from indigestion.

Fumigating a chicken coop with a rat carcass. It is believed that a burned rat carcass in a chicken coop scares away its relatives and forces them to leave such a room forever.

A variety of control methods makes it possible to very effectively control the rat population in the chicken coop, preventing them from crushing chickens and carrying chicken eggs. By choosing the most optimal method of exterminating rats, poultry owners will be able to protect them from many potential threats that these animals bring with them.

Comparative table of poisons from rats and mice

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Chemical method

To the question of whether rats steal chicken eggs, there is only an affirmative answer. Therefore, it is imperative to get rid of rodents in the chicken coop. Insecticides, the range of which is very large, are suitable for this. But it is important to remember that pesticides are not safe for birds. Therefore, when using them, the chicken coop is cleared of its inhabitants for a while, moving them to another room. Gaseous preparations are considered the most effective means, but to use them you need to invite a specialist.

When treating with chemicals, you should always remember that rats can develop immunity to them. It is best to use new drugs that have just appeared on the market. They do not have an immediate effect, so it is necessary to remove the corpses of pests in a timely manner.

Can rats steal eggs from a chicken coop?

If chickens lay eggs in a chicken coop, but later it turns out that there are no eggs, either the chickens peck them or the rats drag them away. Chickens usually eat the eggs. I run and pick it up every hour. I just missed it - there are no eggs and no vitamins with chalk help. Once we tried it, it was enough for slaughter.

Rats rarely take eggs because they cannot carry them away, and their hole must be of the appropriate size. But the theft of eggs by rats still occurs.

Yes, indeed, there were cases when rats stole eggs, and from the chicken coop. But now this can only happen in villages. Before the 20th century, this was common, I read a lot that people saw rats crossing their tails and stealing eggs. It’s hard to imagine this terrible picture.

Of course, rats are very smart animals and they steal eggs in a smart way, and they steal not alone, but in a group, one grabs the egg with its paws and turns over on its back and clasps the egg, and the other pulls this cart by the tail into its hole, if you disassemble the floors in a chicken coop, you can find a bunch of eggs, rats don’t eat fresh eggs, they wait until the eggs go rotten, but they not only steal eggs, but also spread all sorts of infections, which is why the chickens then start to get sick, and if the rats are really hungry, then they can kill chickens, and also these smart creatures, in my chicken coop, they dug holes in each nest, and when the chicken sits down to lay eggs, the egg carefully falls into this hole and does not break, because there at the bottom of the hole the rats dragged sawdust, and the egg fell , I couldn’t get it, but the rat quickly dragged it away under the floor. Fantastic, I am amazed at their cleverness.

Rats really steal eggs from the chicken coop, and what’s most interesting is that they do it together, and not alone. That is, two rats steal eggs. In this case, the following happens: one rat takes the egg itself into its paws, but the second rat drags the rat holding the egg by the tail. This is how rats act smartly and cunningly. And the main thing is mutual assistance in a common cause, which gives a good result.

Not only can they, but they also steal at the first convenient opportunity. In the village this problem has always been relevant. But this activity is also not safe for rats, how many times have I seen chickens chasing a rat, or dragging the carcasses of rats that have already been killed with their own beaks.

Rats sometimes steal chicken eggs; they act as a collective mind, that is, in pairs. Surprisingly, in fact, one rat grabs the egg, while the other drags it by the tail. I observed this process, only in this case the rat was first on top of the egg, but then the egg turned and she lay on her side, while the other one dragged her. It took them no more than 3-5 minutes to steal one egg, quickly, simply and brilliantly, even the chickens did not have time to understand anything. Rats are generally very smart and careful.

It is known that rats are very smart, but, in addition to intelligence, they are also very nimble: a rat can shrink and crawl into a hole the size of which does not exceed 1.5 cm. Thus, it is obvious that, for example, a traditional chain-link mesh is not at all an insurmountable obstacle for her. If there are no holes of the required size, the rat may well gnaw through it. Chicken eggs are a delicacy for her, so if there is at least some opportunity to get to them, she will try to do so.

One option for protecting eggs from rats is a concrete floor in the chicken coop and barriers made of metal sheets. You can try using rat poison.

they can. or maybe not rats, a ferret for example.

To be fair, my parents have laying hens, but their eggs are mostly stolen by jocks who eat the shells and drink the core. But I also read that rats can also covet such nutritious prey. There is an opinion that in order to steal eggs, these smart rodents work in pairs. One rat lies on its back, pressing the egg to its tummy, and the second drags it by the tail like a cart.

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Repellent

There are three methods of controlling rats in a chicken coop:

Smell

Undermining of the chicken coop's walking area by rats: a strip foundation will not stop them.

Rats have a very sensitive sense of smell, which means they are very sensitive to odors. Like many predators, rodents cannot stand the smell of scorched fur. Rodents associate this scent with danger, and they try to leave the area as quickly as possible.

Folk remedies

The oldest and most effective way to protect chickens from rodents is to scatter stove ash on the floor. It sticks to the feet and fur of rats, and when they begin to lick themselves, it enters the digestive system. Ash is classified as a caustic alkali, therefore, when it gets into the stomach of animals, it causes discomfort and digestive problems. By using ash, you can get double the benefits of repelling rats and ridding chickens of skin parasites.

You can also fight rodents with the help of plants. Burdock and Blackroot officinalis (ratcatcher) help well. These plants have spines that, when in contact with fur, inevitably cling to it. Rats are not able to get rid of stuck thorns, so they will not dig their holes near these plants.

The photo shows the seeds of Blackroot officinalis and the plant itself at the time of flowering. Very often, the Black Root plant is used to control rats in a chicken coop - although the name is similar, it is completely useless for these purposes.

Mint

Rats have a particular dislike for mint. This plant is akin to a weed, and it can be found in almost any area, growing in a chaotic manner among noble plantings. However, its mere presence in the garden is not enough. In order for mint to be useful, it is picked and dried, then tied into small bouquets and hung in the corners of the chicken coop.

Chickens and other birds are neutral to the smell of mint, but rats are unlikely to decide to stay in such a place for a long time. Or they may not want to enter it at all.

Sagebrush

Wormwood has a similar effect on the nervous system of rats. It grows much more actively than mint, and quite often gardeners pull it out as an unnecessary weed, simply not realizing its beneficial properties. In order to use wormwood against rats, it must be collected during the flowering period, dried, and hung in the corners of the room for the winter. Dried wormwood can also be placed under stacks or spread between sheaves.

Blackroot

Dried black root, which is usually called mouse spirit or cat soap, is good against rats. It is also laid out in the chicken coop either in the hay or on the floor.

Autumn colchicum

This plant is poisonous, so it is not sold in pharmacies. You can assemble it yourself, but wear protective gloves. As a poison, you can take 1/5 kg of seed material or add 10 g of grass to food.

In the fight against rats, all the methods described above are effective; each farmer chooses the most suitable ones for himself. The main thing is to remove these rodents completely so that poultry and animals do not suffer in the future.

Uses of gypsum and lime

To prepare baits, take gypsum or lime and mix it in equal parts with corn flour. Add milk or kefir to the resulting mixture and roll into small balls. They are placed in places where animals gather or in their burrows. After the balls disappear, you need to add new bait.

Ash – wood and stove

Ash has the property of killing rats, so you should temporarily move the poultry to another room, and scatter as much ash as possible in the chicken coop! It sticks to the paws of rodents, then enters their intestines and gradually eats away at it. At the same time, the rats experience severe pain. The death of animals occurs a few days after this substance enters their stomach.

Bird cherry and elderberry

To protect not only the chicken coop, but also the garden, you can plant bird cherry and elderberry bushes. However, you need to be careful with the latter, as elderberry is poisonous. You need to plant it so that small children cannot reach the bush. If it is not possible to either plant a bush or fence it, then you can put dried elderberry branches in the chicken coop.

Ultrasonic devices

You can purchase special repellers on the market that emit sound signals of a certain frequency. This sound is only audible to rodents and causes them to panic. Therefore, rats try to get away from dangerous territory.

It is important to provide escape routes for pests in the first days of ultrasound operation.

In theory, everything is fine, but in practice, such devices are strictly divided into 2 types.

Low-power, battery-powered, with a short range. Due to this, it is useless to use such ultrasonic repellers in a large chicken coop.
Professional devices powered from the network. There are some powerful ones that are only suitable for warehouses (the instructions say that they should be turned on in the absence of people).

The main thing in this disposal method is a balanced approach to choosing a specific model.

Among the well-known and advertised brands in Russia, it is worth mentioning the Tornado ultrasonic repeller. About 10 different versions of these devices are produced: from those that are inserted into an outlet like a fumigator to more stationary ones that operate from 220 volts.

“Torando 800” has a range of 800 meters and can be used in small chicken coops. Reviews indicate good effectiveness against rats. The price of the device (winter 2015) is about 3,000 rubles.

In second place in popularity are the brands Typhoon and Grad. webferma.com considers the Grad A-1000 PRO+ to be the most advanced model. The manufacturer claims that the device is equally effective in the fight against mice, moles, rats and insects (ticks, moths, mosquitoes, fleas). It is possible to switch on by timer, and the “unique radiation scheme” prevents pests from becoming addicted.

Introducing other birds and animals

It is effective to have geese or turkeys in the chicken coop, which are able to protect themselves from rats. Geese are distinguished by their sensitive sleep and reaction to the slightest rustle. Their cackling repels rats. Turkey produces a similar effect.

You can also get an outdoor cat or a hunting dog. Such animals will catch rodents, but at the same time create a risk for the chickens themselves. A well-trained dog will not harm poultry.

Another animal that can scare away and even catch rats is the hedgehog. This nocturnal inhabitant is a good substitute for a cat, which itself can harm chickens or feast on their eggs.

Mousetraps and traps

Such large structures can easily slam a rat or cause serious injury to it. When placing mousetraps, you must remember that curious birds can get into them.

Spring structures are considered the most effective. You need to pay attention to the material used - the rat trap must be durable.

A rat trap-squeeze helps a lot. Such traps should be placed in boxes, leaving a small entrance hole. It is good to use fried meat as bait. Instead, you can take a piece of bread and dip it in vegetable oil. This method cannot be used if there are chickens in the coop. Due to their small size, they can become trapped themselves.

Another effective option is an electric trap. It works due to the electric charge that the rat receives by closing the contacts with its paws. This charge is enough to stop the pest's heart.

This method of getting rid of rodents is ineffective, so it should be used in addition to other measures. Rats are very smart and rarely fall into such traps.

Glue traps

This method is usually used for mice, since rats are able to escape from the trap. For larger rodents you just need to use more material.

Special glue can be purchased at a hardware store. The tube should be kept in hot water for several minutes, and then its contents should be applied to the board. Rodents can be caught without additional bait, but to be effective, it is better to use it.

The glue does not dry for many days. The fur is tightly glued to it, so the animal cannot free itself. The rat may escape, but will leave some fur in the trap, sometimes resulting in serious wounds. This will force the rodent to look for a safer place to live.

Birds can also fall into such traps, so they should be placed under drawers or boxes where chickens cannot get into, but rodents can. Several entrances and exits must be made in the prepared box, otherwise the rat will sense danger.

Cats and dogs

The fight between cats and mice is colorfully described in books, children's fairy tales, cartoons and computer games. It is believed that there is no better way to get rid of pests. In reality, not every cat has a hunting instinct. Many feline pets are afraid of rodents, especially large and cruel rats, which themselves can attack their catchers. The cat teaches its cubs to hunt in practice, which is impossible in home breeding conditions, which is why city cats most often do not know how to catch mice.

To hunt, you need a village cat who has spent his entire life on the street. However, even such “beaten by life” pets often do not dare to attack a rat. What to do in this case? Get a dog. Dachshunds, Fox Terriers and Jagd Terriers are excellent rat hunters, bred specifically for this purpose. Breeds that are not intended for hunting, but for other purposes, as well as mongrel dogs, most likely will not be able to crush rats that steal eggs.

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