Rat? Problem.

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mollteaser

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I'll keep this brief...lost one of my hens overnight. Went to let them out of the Eglu this morning, my newish Sussex hybrid dead with woounds to the neck, lots of blood, other 3 bloodied and nipped. Cleaned them up, put on wound dust/ purple spray, bit of fuss and treats.

Yesterday, I found a mound of soil at the entrance of the Eglu, thought it was a molehill- we have a big problem- stupidly didn't see the diggings around the side, next to the run....it was dark...so I've had a good luck and gave found soil in the Eglu and rat poop? underneath
:(
So I've put baitboxes down and will load up the traps tomorrow...feel a bit guilty, been really busy with work, course, kids, etc this week. Hens have had basic feed, treat and cursory check over at bedtime....if I'd have seen the diggings......I wanted a couple of extra hens, but am putting that on hold until the rats have been dealt with.
 
i had a rat probelm but then again the alloments are probably streaming with them at night so i figured it wouldnt be long before they moved in but i put a bait box into the run under pallets where the girls couldnt get near and they havent been back since and removing all housing of the ground helped as at the time i made a simple but dumb little house and they had made nests etc under it i didnt know until i took it down :o
 
Big rats to tackle a chicken. We've had huge rats but none have attempted to tackle a chicken. Have heard of rats biting the heads off pheasant chicks. Sounds like a weasle or young mink to me. It may have been hunting the rats and took the chicken instead -killed it but then couldn't move it.
 
Really sorry, what a nasty shock for you! :(

What you can also do Mollteaser in the interim is to put wire wool in any holes or gaps where they have been digging.

Unusual, but not unheard of for rats to attack chickens, would check you haven't got mink in the area as well.
Can you put an edging of paving slabs down to stop whatever it is digging under?
 
There is a drainage hole at the bottom of the mouilded nestbox in my eglu classic, 1 inch diameter, also ventilation holes the same size above the doors. A mink or weasel could probably get through there.

What size is the mesh round your run? If it's also 1 inch, this could also be a way in.
/
 
We do have mink, and polecat/ferret crosses, my dad ran one over. I suspected they got in through the drainage hole, I wondered about weasel/stoat type....I also wondered if it was the hens? I've done a gradual intro, and they've had a squabble but nothing more than a squawk and peck...
 
Also...as I mentioned in.another thread, I found knaw marks on the exterior of the Eglu previously..

Like an idiot I didn't open the pod when I shut them in last night, it was late, and I was rushing.g.....feel really guilty. I've had so much on, a big diabetes course, and all the usual family stuff. Could have been done then....feel awful.
 
mollteaser said:
Also...as I mentioned in.another thread, I found knaw marks on the exterior of the Eglu previously..

Like an idiot I didn't open the pod when I shut them in last night, it was late, and I was rushing.g.....feel really guilty. I've had so much on, a big diabetes course, and all the usual family stuff. Could have been done then....feel awful.
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Thank you for all the replies. Will be trying to sort it tomorrow.
 
I know it's a bit gory, but check the bite marks. Rats have gnawing teeth, two top together. Weasles, stoat, mink, ferrets have two fangs at the top, so you will see puncture marks about 15mm apart, if it got through a 1" hole.
Could have been a rat gnawing at the Eglu, but something else that attacked the hens.
 
Will try...Sussex had been disposed of...will try tomorrow. Would a cat kill hens?
 
Rats will kill young chickens, ducks and geese but I've never known them to kill an adult hen in good health but they will attack a carcass. Even a cat won't usually take on an adult chicken, so it's likely to be weasel, stoat, mink which certainly will.
 
That's small enough Sue. We've got that on one run and even the tiny rats can't get through it -I've watched them try. Mice can though.
Not sure a domestic cat would tackle a hen but bet a ferral cat would Mollteaser.
 
Just thinking about the rat problem - my Green Frog house has four vents at the top of the house and they are large enough for a rat to get in. The last thing I want to do, with my condensation problem, is have to close the vents ~(one can't be closed anyway) to keep rats out. They are in a run with 1" x 1/2" mesh, but there are some areas where rats could get in ~(but not foxes). You've now got me a bit worried! Surely this can't be a big problem, rats attacking hens I mean, because my house is in a fairly secure run, but other peoples are out in paddocks etc., without any barrier to stop rats!
 
Got to be a big rat to dare tackle a hen and I've never heard of it. One peck and the rat would bleed to death.
How would a rat get up to the vents on your green frog? There is nothing to climb on.

Just make sure no food is left out at night as that will encourage them. Even little spilt bits. First sign is runs dug under the sides of the run to get to the food.
 
The nest boxes are just under the vents, so there is something to climb on, but they would have to jump onto the nest boxes first - do rats jump?
 
I've seen them jump Sue. Managed about a foot then grabbed the wire of the run and climbed up it -little rats about 3" body and mice too. Think the bigger rats struggle to jump at all and stay at ground level generally unless they have a climbing route. Rats nest at groung level or underneath so they naturally avoid heights. Sounds as though your nest box lid will be too high.
Chickens will attack and eat small rats and mice anyway, as will any large bird. I don't think rats would willingly go anywhere near them unless absolutely desperate.
 
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